Napkins: Paper vs. Cloth?

Pablo's done it again! In his ongoing AskPablo series of life cycle analysis comparisons, he examines the debate between paper versus cloth napkins. Which is the better environmental choice?

The study uses the following assumptions:

Restaurants will wash cloth napkins after each use, use excessive bleach, and use a napkin 50 times.

Homes will wash cloth napkins only once a week.

So what is the worst choice for napkins? Cotton napkins win hands down.

And what is the best choice for napkins? Based upon the assumptions used in the study, paper napkins are the best choice for restaurants and linen napkins are the best choice in homes.

Greener Printing From Your Computer

Before you print that next document, here are some ways you can achieve greener printing from your computer.

1. Make sure you are using an EnergyStar printer (and computer). You may think this one's a no-brainer and you've got it covered, but wait...did you know that computer standards were revised in 2007 and new printer standards take effect this year? So if your computer is older that 2007 and your printer is older than 2009, it may no longer meet EnergyStar standards, even though it met the standards that were in place at the time it was manufactured. If you should decide to upgrade, don't forget to recycle the old one!
   


2. Change the margins. Read the studies from both Penn State University and Michigan State University. The Penn State study suggested that changing all university printer default margins to .75” (adding 19% more print space to the page) could save the university over $122,000/year and Michigan State estimated a savings of $67,512/year.
   


3. Use paper with recycled content. Although both the Penn State and Michigan State studies found that switching to recycled content paper was more expensive, this has not been the case in my consulting experience. Many businesses that are not under contractual purchasing agreements do have the flexibility to comparison shop. A recent client was able to save 10% on paper costs by switching from virgin fiber to recycled content paper. Other "green" options are to look for unbleached paper or, better yet, tree-free paper!


4. Recycle and buy recycled. Recycle your paper, toner cartridges, and ink jet cartridges. And don't forget to buy recycled, too!


5. Install software to manage and reduce paper usage. Print management software programs (such as PaperCut, GreenPrint, and many others) can reduce printed pages and printer waste.


6. Use vegetable-based ink toner. SoyPrint is an environmentally-friendly alternative to petroleum-based toner. Look for additional vegetable-based toners and ink jet cartridges to hit the market soon.


7. Change the font. A Dutch company has created Ecofont, a new font that requires up to 20% less ink. Ecofont is free to download and use.

Durango-McKinley Paper Company - Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week

Durango-McKinley Paper Company (Prewitt NM) uses over 700 tons of waste corrugated cardboard daily to manufacture paperboard for corrugated packaging. The company has several locations throughout the southwestern United States.


Durango-McKinley Paper Company is not your standard paper mill. Consider the company's environmental efforts toward cleaner production methods:

• 100% of raw materials are from reycled paper, no fresh cut trees are ever used.



• the company utilizes a closed circuit manufacturing process which produces zero emissions.



• 100% of water used in the manufacturing process is treated, recycled, and used again. This has reduced water usage from an average of 2.5 million gallons a day to 150,000 gallons a day.



• this is a factory that requires no environmental permits because it does not emit any gas or liquid into the environment.



• the company has won several environmental awards. For example, in 2005, the company won awards for exceeding its materials use reduction goal by 1,000 tons, showed a 20 percent improvement in materials efficiency over three years, reduced its water use by two million gallons per year and its landfill waste by over 3,200 tons and its annual electricity use by almost 5,000 MwH, and showed an 11 percent improvement in electricity efficiency.

Parent company, Corporacion Durango of Mexico, has recently filed bankruptcy and will sell Durango-McKinley Paper.


Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week is a weekly behind-the-scenes look at what businesses are doing to be more sustainable and responsible in their operations.


Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week: If they can do it, so can you!

Recycled Toiletpaper? Eew!

In a recent conversation with my students, when it was mentioned that a local company uses recycled hand towels and toilet paper, I could see the peculiar looks around the room. When asked what their idea of recycled toilet paper was, well....you can image...some students thought that perhaps it was used toilet paper placed in a bin for recycling, just like cans, glass, plastic, and paper. "Hmmm," I thought, "we need to talk."

Paper that comes 'straight from the tree' is referred to as virgin pulp paper. Paper can then be placed in a recycling bin destined for another life. Paper can generally be recycling 5-7 times. But with each recycling, the paper fibers become weaker. Through a sifting process, the stronger pulp can be pulled out and, in it's second life, paper can still be paper. However, by the time the paper goes through several lifecycles, the fibers are weak and brittle and are used for hand towels, facial tissue, toilet tissue, and similar products. For a detailed description of how paper is recycled, visit the TAPPI website.

So don't be afraid to purchase towel and tissue products made from post-consumer recycled material. It's not "icky" at all and it is good for the environment!

Mighty Green Paper: Sustainable Business Design Does Carbon Consulting Right

Thanks to Olga Orda (Equo3 Strategies, a sustainability public relations, writing, and research firm) for the following great write-up at Green Options.

When companies make the shift to reduce the carbon footprint of their supply chain, paper is one of the first – but perhaps most overlooked – ways to shed those office carbon pounds.

But the carbon, environmental and cost savings benefits of switching from virgin paper to more sustainable paper didn’t escape Sustainable Business Design - a consulting firm that provides carbon footprint, greenhouse gas audits and “The Low Carb Corporate Diet” ™ service.

Nancy E. Landrum, Ph.D., of SBD demonstrated that a local, multi-site client who had not thought about paper purchasing as a way to “go green” experienced “immediate environmental and financial success in their quest for green” by simply making the change to recycled paper.

But how big of a success was it exactly?

“The final combination of paper choices recommended to the client represented a 10% cost savings, 13% fewer carbon dioxide emissions, and 35% fewer trees when compared to their previous product,” says Landrum.

And, if offering climate change and carbon strategies that work wasn’t enough, Landrum oversees a blog worth reading at http://www.sustainablebusinessdesign.blogspot.com/, check out the January 30 post for a list of useful webinars like “A Guide to Green Purchasing (Feb. 20)”. It’s like attending a green learning conference across the country minus the across country flight emissions – we are loving it.

Free Software Helps Save Paper and Trees

GreenPrint World software promises to eliminate those wasteful one-line pages from being printed. 'GreenPrint World is a free version of GreenPrint software for home users worldwide. GreenPrint solves a problem nearly every computer user has experienced: The wasteful pages that seem only to appear after a document has been printed (for example, pages with just a URL, banner ad, legal jargon, or a run-over Excel column). GreenPrint does this by analyzing the document and then highlighting and removing unnecessary pages. GreenPrint also incorporates an easy to use PDF writer, a print preview called GreenView, and a reporting feature, which keeps track of the number of pages, trees, and money saved."

"In an effort to end wasteful printing worldwide, GreenPrint World is available at no cost to home users around the globe. With widespread use we will save over 100 million trees and reduce greenhouse gasses by over 300 million tons. The World Edition is perfect for anyone who wants to eliminate the frustration and waste of unwanted pages and have a positive environmental impact right at home."

There are also two paid versions available, Home Premium and Enterprise. You can compare the features of all three versions at their website.

Home users can download the free GreenPrint World at http://www.download.com/GreenPrint-World/3000-2088_4-10799305.html?tag=pdp_prod

The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company - Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week

Think you've heard it all when it comes to sustainability strategies and sustainable business? Not yet.

The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company Ltd. recyles the waste of African and Asian elephants into over 150 unique (and odorless) paper products. Did you know that a single piece of elephant dung can make 25 large sheets of paper? Now you know.

Green Tip for Business: Change Margins, Save Money

By changing the default margin settings to 0.75" on University computers, Penn State found that they could save per year over $122,000 in paper costs, 45,142 reams of paper, 45 tons of waste, and 72 acres of forest.