It’s no secret that the computer has revolutionized the way we do so many things – we’ve made rapid progress in almost every field because of the speed and convenience offered by this eclectic collection of chips. And although there’s too much talk of how the energy used by the computer and the waste generated from unwanted parts cause environmental hazards, there’s no doubting the fact that the computer has done wonders in saving the trees and forests that nature has bestowed on our planet. The more paper we use, the more trees are being cut down, and the more the number of trees that are cut down, the less rainfall the earth receives and the more pollution it has to contend with. If you’re the kind who uses more paper than you should, now is the time to start cutting back, and here’s how you can do so:

•    Don’t make hard copies of documents and emails unless you absolutely have to.
•    Send letters and other forms of correspondence through email.
•    Print or write on both sides of a sheet of paper. Accordingly, set your printers and copiers to use both   sides.
•    Reuse sheets that have only been used on only one side.
•    Use your computer to read documents instead of printing them out.
•    Use internal mailing services to send out office memos and circulars.
•    Buy recycled paper that has a large amount of recycled content.
•    Don’t buy paper that’s colored or bleached.
•    Buy large amounts of paper to minimize the wastage of packaging material.
•    Recycle the paper that you use instead of throwing it away.
•    Buy toner cartridges and other paper products for your office that are available in the recycled form.
•    Use up all the space that’s available on a piece of paper before you throw it away – as a scratch pad or otherwise.
•    Buy paper that’s processed without using chlorine, also known as PCF paper.
•    Use a fax modem so that documents can be emailed directly from a computer without having to resort to printing out a hard copy.
•    Find out if your printer supports ink that’s made from soybeans. This alternative to traditional ink is less harmful to the environment because it has lower levels of volatile organic compounds (also found in paints) which are responsible for the emission of toxic gases into the atmosphere. Soy-based inks are also easier to remove than their petroleum-based counterparts and so help expedite the recycling process.
•    Buy from suppliers who recycle and who deal in recycled products.
•    Pick suppliers who are ready to take back packaging material so that they can be reused.

It’s our planet, the only one we have. And it’s up to us to do every little bit we can to make it hospitable not just for us, but for the future generations to come.

This post was contributed by Holly McCarthy, who writes on the subject of job websites. She invites your feedback at hollymccarthy12@gmail.ccom