National Wildlife Federation's Paper Recycling Program
Steve Johnsen joined the National Wildlife Federation in 1975. He remembers there was a paper recycling program even then.
"It was difficult in those days because there wasn't much demand for recycled paper," he says.
But by the 1980s, paper recycling was more common. National Wildlife Federation had a large print shop and letter shop operation. Large metal cages in the shop floor allowed staff to sort paper by grade, which made it even more appealing to paper recycling haulers.
"There were cyclical fluctuations in the demand for recycled paper then," Steve says. "For a while, the haulers were paying us for the paper, and then we had to pay to have it hauled away. There became a glut."
As time passed, it became easier for NWF to find consistent and cost-effective paper recycling vendors because other institutions and businesses were asking for the same services.
"Most businesses, once they get to a certain size, they are required to recycle," says Steve. "Economically, we pay less to dispose of recycling than trash."
Office Paper Collection
Most of the focus then was on the paper waste in these large shops. Later, as staff shifted from typewriters to computers and printers, it meant that more employees were producing paper documents. At first, many employees had a printer on their desks, making centralized paper recycling difficult. But gradually personal printers were replaced by networked printers, and a collection bin near the copier/printer could capture most paper recycling. Employees were encouraged to recycle the "green bar" computer printouts, an easily recycled paper because of the sheer volume of the reports.
National Wildlife Federation moved its headquarters in 2000, and when the new building was designed, recycling was a key part of the new design, with sorting stations in every kitchen and desk-side paper recycling bins. The ceiling tiles were made from recycled materials and if damaged, can be returned to the vendor for recycling. The carpet, made by Interface, is installed as tiles which allows small damaged areas to be replaced without pulling up large areas of carpet. NWF received a Fairfax County Business Recycling Awards in 2003 for all our recycling efforts.
Besides recycling paper, metal, glass and plastic, NWF also reuses styrofoam peanuts. Steve said it actually costs less to reuse the peanuts because if just one bag of peanuts ruptures in the trash, and the wind picks up the peanuts, staff can spend hours picking up and even vacuuming the peanuts around the property.
Employee Education
In the early days of paper recycling at NWF, there was no email or intranet. The first in-office paper recycling was announced via the employee newsletter, then a paper document, called the Wildlife Line.
More recently, Steve worked with a designer on staff to make posters to put near recycling bins, to help staff understand what they can recycle. He says overall there does not appear to be much confusion about what kind of paper or cardboard to recycle. Both trash and recycling are stored in clear plastic bags which helps when the wrong items are thrown out and need to be found in the dumpster. There has been some discussion about sticky notes, because the adhesive can reduce the quality of the paper and gum up the equipment used by paper recyclers. NWF staff are encouraged to rip off the sticky part of the note and put that in the garbage, and put the paper portion in the paper recycling bins.
"It's a small habit that's easy to incorporate," says Steve.
Steve says he has not had to do a lot of education of NWF staff because most people who work here naturally are interested in knowing how to recycle.
"We've relied on the department to educate their staff about paper recycling - to have a local community level of education," says Steve.
For custodial staff, handling the recycled fiber is no longer a special request as it was in the early days of paper recycling. Having trash and recycling in clear plastic bags makes it easier to ensure the right bags go into the right bins.
Purchasing Paper
The last step in any good recycling program is to close the loop and purchase recycled products. NWF has purchased a number of copier papers (or uncoated papers) and now use a product that is made from 100% post-consumer waste, made process chlorine-free and Forest Stewardship Council certified. (Learn more about choosing the right paper for you.
In past years, NWF purposefully used a recycled paper that was a yellow/tan color because it looked more "recycled" but today, recycled paper is consistently white without harming the environment.
"We've had two plants in the past ten years that have shut down because they did not have enough demand for recycled paper to stay in business," says Steve.
Letterhead, Printing and Copying
Another way to save paper is to help staff print on the correct paper at all times. Printing on letterhead is a common cause of misprinting, and this is exacerbated when there is a front sheet and then a secondary sheet of official letterhead paper.
In most cases, staff letterhead needs can be accomodated by a letterhead template built into word processing software. That way staff can print on the same paper used in daily copy and printing needs, without having to switch out paper or put it into a special drawer in the networked machines.
Some staff though, need a higher grade of paper if the letter is meant to make a certain kind of impression. In those cases, Steve has found that giving those staff a dedicated printer reduces paper waste.
Copy and printing machines have advanced considerably, and now adjust how they print based on the humidity and temperature of the area. But even so, it is more difficult for these machines to print on paper that has been opened or handled. This paper absorbs or loses moisture, depending on the environment, making it more apt to cause paper jams in the machine. That's why having one kind of paper for all uses is the best way to reduce paper waste.
Also, some staff have wanted to print on the back of paper that has already been used. The challenge is that the laser copy/print machines rely on heat to fuse the toner to the paper. That same process can cause old toner to melt, get on the rollers and jam the machine. Steve asks staff to print on both sides in the initial print job but not re-feed old printed paper into the machines. Ink jet printers use a different process without toner, which is why home printers are often more suitable for double-sided printing after the fact.
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