WHAT'S THE CHALLENGE?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. The world reached 1 billion people in 1800; 2 billion by 1922; and over 6 billion by 2000. It is estimated that the population will swell to over 9 billion by 2050. That means that if the world’s natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 had.
The world has a fixed amount of natural resources - some of which are already depleted. So as population growth greatly strains our finite resources, there are fewer resources available. If we intend to leave our children and grandchildren with the same standard of living we have enjoyed, we must preserve the foundation of that standard of living. We save for college educations, orthodontia, and weddings, but what about saving clean air, water, fuel sources and soil for future generations.
Some of the greatest threats to future resources come from things we throw away everyday. Household batteries and electronics often contain dangerous chemicals that may, if sent to a local landfill, leak through the bottom barrier and pollute the groundwater. This can contaminate everything from the soil in which our food grows, to the water which will eventually come out of aquifers and into our tap water. Many of these chemicals cannot be removed from the drinking water supply, nor from the crops that are harvested from contaminated fields. The risks to human health are tremendous.
Throwing away items that could be recycled diminishes energy, water, and natural resources that could be saved by recycling.
DID YOU KNOW...
- For every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough electricity to power an average house for six months.
- You can run a TV for six hours on the amount of electricity that is saved by recycling one aluminum can.
- By recycling just one glass bottle, you save enough electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours.
The more we throw away, the more space we take up in landfills. When a landfill becomes a “landfull”, taxpayers have to build a new one. The less we throw away, the longer our landfills will last. The amount of taxpayer money we save by extending the longevity of our landfills is an important community benefit.
WHY START IN SCHOOLS AND TRAINING FACILITIES?
Schools and training facilities represent a large sector of the waste producers in this country, and they are typically some of the larger institutions in every municipality. If Schools and training facilities embrace environmentally responsible behaviors, there will be an immediate impact on its community’s contribution to the local landfill.
THE BOTTOM LINE?
None of us operate in a vacuum. Our choices and behaviors have a ripple effect that reach across the world today, and on to future generations. What we buy, what we do or do not recycle, what we “throw away” has an impact on an evermore interconnected planet. If we want to maintain the standard of living we currently enjoy and pass it on to our posterity, it will take an all-hands effort to preserve the foundation of that standard of living – clean air, water and soil.
The Thinking Green initiative is the beginning of an important new shift in the way we at GPOIC treat our world. This grassroots program promotes the very best character traits in people: caring for yourself and caring for others. Through simple, responsible behavior shifts, together we can protect human health through environmental stewardship.
At Greater Paterson OIC, we have identified some steps to help make our office a more environmentally friendly place:
- TURN OFF EQUIPMENT when it's not being used. This can reduce the energy used by 25 percent; turning off the computers at the end of the day can save an additional 50 percent.
- ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATIONS BY EMAIL, and read email messages onscreen to determine whether it's necessary to print them. If it's not, DON’T!
- REDUCE FAX-RELATED PAPER WASTE by faxing and/or using a fax cover sheet only when necessary.
- PRODUCE DOUBLE-SIDED DOCUMENTS whenever possible.
- DO NOT LEAVE TAPS DRIPPING; always close them tightly after use. (One drop wasted per second wastes 1,000 gallons per year.)
- FIND A SUPPLY OF PAPER WITH MAXIMUM AVAILABLE RECYCLED CONTENT...
- INITIATE AN ONGOING SEARCH FOR "GREENER" PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. The further your supplies or service providers have to travel, the more energy will be used to get them to you.
- Before deciding whether you need to purchase new office furniture, SEE IF YOU EXISTING OFFICE FURNITURE CAN BE REFURBISHED. It's less expensive than buying new and better for the environment.