Businesses, Reducing Paper Does Have An Impact.

It’s sometimes difficult for businesses to use recycled paper or reduce the amount of paper used. Higher expense is the number one reason most businesses don't use recycled paper. It is not always convenient for a busy company and for others it is the belief that their contributions will have no real impact. Regardless of the reason, rethinking the way your company buys and uses paper helps your business as well as the environment. Using less paper helps trim your bottom line through cost-cutting and efficiency. A conservation, recycling and eco-friendly paper procurement program can generate positive publicity for your company, giving your customers and clients one more reason to spend their dollars with you.

Below you will find a list of companies that committed to reducing and recycling paper and how their commitment is making a difference.

1) Since 2003, the Philadelphia Eagles football team has saved nearly 90 tons of wood from virgin forests by recycling and buying recycled paper.

2) Omaha Steaks uses 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper in the body of its catalogs and 30 percent in the covers and order forms.

3) CitiGroup has reduced overall copy paper use and converted its offices to 30 percent post-consumer recycled copy paper, saving 2,800 tons of greenhouse gases every year.

4) Bank of America has reduced the basis weight of its ATM receipts from 20 pounds to 15 pounds, Bank of America saved more than just paper; this simple move also gained the bank additional savings in transportation, storage and handling costs, to the tune of $500,000 a year.

5) Norm Thompson Outfitters is a catalog retailer mailing out about 17 billion catalogs every year -- that's nearly 60 per person in the United States -- and almost none of them use post-consumer recycled content paper. That's why company’s cutting-edge, industry-leading commitment is so valuable. Norm Thompson prints its catalogs on 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper, and has set a company goal of increasing that figure to an average of 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper before 2008. The company estimates that it has saved:
• 4,400 tons of wood per year;
• 20 billion BTUs of energy;
• 11.7 million gallons of water;
• and 990 tons of solid waste.

Fresh Farm Markets Continue Growing Trend

With citizens of our planet facing health, economy and environmental concerns, the demand for fresh farm foods is starting to rise. Bought on a local level, more and more Americans are buying produce and goods locally from fresh farm markets. Though there are many factors that could and have contributed, the benefits of buying locally are instrumental. Below we outline some of those benefits

1) Helps to support local farmers who are more likely to be stewards of their land.
2) Supports local economies.
3) Promotes and preserves our natural environment
4) Healthier food options without biologically engineered preservatives or pesticides.
5) Food prices that do not fluctuate based on rising gas prices or stock prices.
6) Less pollutants in the air by reducing the need for shipping of goods.

Despite such growing public enthusiasm, however, there are a still a number of challenges to the movement. Federal food and safety regulations cater to an industrial farm system, and are often expensive and unfriendly toward smaller farm operations. Recent food scares have also led to tightening food safety regulations, limiting what can and can't be sold on and off the farm, and how producers have to package their food. And critics question the sustainability of such a system, arguing that small farms simply cannot meet our nation's food demands efficiently.
Nonetheless, the way we eat has an enormous impact on the health of the planet. By choosing to eat lower on the food chain, and focusing on local and organic produce, we can curb global warming and air pollution, avoid toxic pesticides, support local farmers and enjoy fresh, tasty food.

5 Minutes Needed to Make a Difference

You want to make a difference and preserve the planet. You want to do your part in every walk of life. You are looking to be energy efficient and produce a positive impact on the environment. In fact, if you had all the time in the world, you'd be tending to your organic garden or building a canoe out of chopsticks to promote recycling awareness.

Obviously, you don't have all the time in the world. But do you have 5 minutes? Helping the en-vironment doesn't take building a greenhouse or converting your car to biodiesel, it can just take five minutes. Below are environmentally friendly practices that only take a few spare minutes.

1. Switch Your Light Bulbs to CFL (Compact Florescent Light Bulbs)
2. Read Your Power Meters
3. Start a Compost Pile
4. Pick Up Trash Outside