LET'S GET WASTEWISE!

~Name\ of\ organization~ recently joined the Environmental Protection
Agency\'s voluntary WasteWise program. The program asks that we do what
we can to [prevent]{.underline} waste, that is, use only the material
needed to get the job done, then recycle what cannot be prevented, and
buy recycled products. Although participation in the program is
voluntary, ~name\ of\ organization~ takes its participation very
seriously. According to
~name\ and\ title\ of\ person\ in\ charge\ of\ organization\'s\ WasteWise\ program~,
\"~name\ of\ organization~ has always made preservation of the
environment a high priority . . . *\[Insert a quote describing
organization\'s commitment to the environment.\]*.\"

~Name\ of\ organization~\'s WasteWise goals for this year are *\[Insert
a brief description of WasteWise goals and describe how employees can
help attain them, particularly waste prevention goals. If the majority
of employees are not heavily involved in your WasteWise activities, you
can make this section short and emphasize, below, general waste
prevention actions which the majority of employees can take.\]*

In many cases, particularly in the office setting, waste prevention
means thinking before using a resource, such as paper. We tend not to
think as much about the materials we use at work, especially if we know
they will be recycled later. But preventing the waste in the first place
has a positive impact on the environment and can save more money than
recycling.

Most of us at ~name\ of\ organization~ have gotten pretty good at
tossing our recyclables in the proper bins, and we deserve a round of
applause for our recycling efforts! We will always have to use some
paper and other materials to get our jobs done, and recycling is the
best way to manage those used materials. But did you ever think that a
lot of what goes into our recycling bins didn\'t have to be used in the
first place? How? Here are a few examples where we could easily prevent
waste [before]{.underline} recycling!

-   Limit distribution of reports, memos, etc., to only those who need
    them, or better yet, use e-mail.

-   Make two-sided copies. It not only saves paper, but storage space as
    well.

-   Keep files on disk instead of making paper copies.

-   Print on scrap paper if you print a lot of drafts. *\[If your office
    has two printer trays, one could contain scrap paper for drafts and
    the other could have unused paper for final versions.\]*

-   Use scrap paper for notes.

-   Reuse old office supplies. And make sure supplies you no longer need
    get back to the supply room for other employees to use.

-   Make sure printer toner cartridges are sent for remanufacturing
    instead of throwing them out. *\[If your organization does this.\]*

-   Use a reusable coffee mug instead of a disposable one.

Why should you bother to prevent waste? For one thing, you are
preventing pollution. (Everything we consume generates some pollution,
often during the manufacturing process.) You are also conserving natural
resources. And you are avoiding the potential pollution involved with
managing and disposing of waste.

From an economic viewpoint, you are reducing purchasing and disposal
costs, money that could have been used to make ~name\ of\ organization~
more productive and competitive.

Here are a few examples of how we needlessly incur costs when we don't
act "WasteWise". Every time we toss a binder in the trash, that's \$3.00
down the drain. What about a hanging folder? About 65 cents. A file
folder? About 15 cents. Doesn\'t sound like a lot of money? Think of
*\[Insert \# of employees in the organization or facility that receives
this newsletter\]* employees at
~name\ of\ organization\ or\ facility\ receiving\ the\ newsletter~
throwing these items away on a regular basis after only one use! So
let's put a new label on that old folder and use it again!

And did you know that using one routing envelope 38 times instead of
using single-use envelopes saves about \$2.00? Think of the money we\'d
save if everyone was careful to use single-use envelopes only when
absolutely necessary.

By sending in our old toner cartridges for remanufacturing, we save
approximately 40% off the purchasing cost of a replacement cartridge.
Since each new cartridge costs approximately \$100, that adds up to
significant savings! *\[If your organization does this.\]*

So, let's think before we use that piece of paper, that envelope, that
disposable cup. If we all make small changes in our daily operations and
change a few habits, we [can]{.underline} make a big difference, both to
the environment and to our bottom line. Let's get WasteWise!