| Paper Recycling to the Earth's Salvation | | | | to reverse the current paper consumption trend |
| The world's land masses were once covered with | | | | is to allow some of that paper to be |
| vast tracts of uncharted forests, comprised of | | | | re-processed and returned to circulation, where it |
| billions of trees that did everything from maintain | | | | saves on cutting down more trees to produce |
| the stability of topsoil against weather erosion, to | | | | virgin pulp. This is the essential purpose of |
| filling the atmosphere with rich, essential oxygen. | | | | recycling. |
| Any pollution that was generated from natural | | | | It isn't difficult to encourage recycling in the |
| disaster or human activity was capably absorbed | | | | workplace, as long as the office has the |
| by these trees. Moreover, these trees provided | | | | appropriate recycling bins for paper located in |
| shelter and sustenance for countless species of | | | | places that are accessible to everyone. How hard |
| animals and plants. Everything was fine and dandy | | | | is it to carry one's pile of waste papers to the |
| until sometime in the last century, when human | | | | nearest bin, accompanied by the knowledge that |
| civilization's demand for wood and paper ravaged | | | | you are doing something to preserve the planet? |
| entire countries worth of forest land. Today, the | | | | The problem, really, is getting people to |
| world has lost over 80 percent of its forests, and | | | | remember to recycle instead of just crumpling up |
| unless we take action now to replenish what little | | | | pieces of paper and tossing them in with the |
| is left, we stand to lose the rest of our trees in | | | | other garbage. People have to be reminded, and |
| the next 20 years. | | | | preferably not with some brown-nosing employee |
| Saving our trees does not, contrary to what | | | | or eco-fanatic barking in their faces, telling them |
| people may think, involving chaining ourselves to | | | | what they are supposed to do. |
| them before a group of disgruntled loggers, or | | | | No, the best way to get the message across, in |
| even joining the efforts of an ecological society. | | | | a friendly but persistent manner, is by using a |
| Conservation of our forests may begin, | | | | paper recycling sign. Experiments conducted on |
| interestingly enough, in the workplace. The | | | | the power of suggestive reinforcement have |
| average office consumes tons of paper every | | | | shown that the presence of sign greatly improves |
| year. Employees print the shortest of e-mails to | | | | the chances of a person adopting a particular |
| create paper trails for their files, burn through | | | | habit that the sign espouses. Some paper |
| multiple hard copy drafts, and crunch entire reams | | | | recycling signs that are strategically located near |
| of fresh paper to distribute documents that could | | | | the bins and in common areas will persuade |
| just as easily have been passed around in an | | | | employees that recycling is an important policy of |
| online form. It is quite curious that, in an age | | | | the workplace, without even taking into |
| where computer devices are becoming | | | | consideration how beneficial it will be to the |
| increasingly streamlined, portable and easy on the | | | | environment. Who knows? Each such paper |
| eyes, so many offices still insist on wasting paper | | | | recycling sign may end up saving a forest's worth |
| like the supply is never going to run out. This | | | | of trees. |
| attitude has to change now. The only sure way | | | | |