Sustainable Office Supplies Help Businesses Go Green

Pens, cartridges and fasteners join green recycledoften a cost-effective place to start.
paper and recycle containers as items that allowWhen looking for other products, remember that while
green businesses to be environmentally friendly.some products may be easily labeled - i.e. green
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Using environmentally greenrecycled paper - the phrase "post-consumer" is also
recycled paper has become common, but there arebecoming fashionable for identifying green products.
plenty of other procedures offices can follow to helpSome common sustainable office supplies include
reduce their carbon footprint. And many of them oftenpens, highlighters, toner cartridges, and - believe it or
make good business sense.not - stapleless staplers. When purchasing pens, look
Going green with recycled paper and recyclefor bodies that are made from wood or biodegradable
containers helps take care of waste products, butcorn. Such pens often allow for refillable ink, which
using sustainable office supplies can actually helpsaves users from tossing them in the recycle
prevent waste, which arguably has an even biggercontainers the first time the ink runs dry.
event on the environment.Many ink cartridges for printers and copiers are also
Studies have found that as much as 10 percent of allrefillable, pushing them to the top of the list of
landfill waste comes from office supplies. Not all usedsustainable office supplies. Stapleless staplers work by
pens and staplers can simply be tossed into recyclemaking small cuts in stacks of paper that cause them
containers.to bind. And those looking for a paper clip to bind their
Limiting waste begins with purchasing only the amountgreen recycled paper should look for clips made from
of sustainable office supplies that are necessary. Whilerecycled metals.
buying in bulk may seem cost effective now,The growing number of retailers currently selling green
remember that every day more and more green andoffice products is making the choice to build an
recycled products are being introduced. If purchasersenvironmentally friendly office even easier. And the
are buying a product that doesn't have a greenabundance of outlets selling environmentally-friendly
version, buying a limited amount may allow enoughsustainable office supplies continues to increase.
time for a green version of that product to beWith internet retailers becoming as reliable as those
produced.outlets with physical storefronts, the most cost
The next time an order is placed purchasers can lookeffective solutions for green offices are often found
for sustainable office supplies that are made fromvia the computer.
products that have been recycled. Containers are