So for those who really want to minimize the environmental impact of printing, just looking at “green” products, or products that are “eco-engineered,” is not enough. Even looking at the energy efficiency of the device isn’t enough since the amount of watts consumed by printing devices are all pretty much the same.

In fact, it takes up to 60 times more electrical energy to manufacture one sheet of paper than it does for a laser printer to print on it.

“When it comes to printing, if you’re serious about protecting the environment, you must address the amount you print,” says Lexmark Canada marketing manager Mark McCullough. “That is one of the key reasons Lexmark developed the ‘Print Less, Save More’ approach.

So why is a printer company, a company that only makes printers and multi-function devices, offering to help consumers and companies print less?

“If we can help reduce the operating costs and complexity associated with printing and copying, reduce paper and energy consumption, and help improve business performance, while at the same time help companies meet their sustainability objectives, they are more likely to do business with us,” McCullough says.

So, how do you print less? How do you effectively reduce the volume of pages flowing through the devices deployed throughout your home or organization?

To reduce pages, first you have to print smarter at an individual level and especially at the enterprise level, experts say. Whether your office is at home, a small or medium business, or in a large multinational organization, there are a number of things you can do to reduce the impact your printing has on the environment. Tips from Lexmark include:

• Learn to review documents on screen and print only final copies.

• Print on both sides of the page through duplex or two-sided printing.

• Print in draft mode whenever possible.

• Share soft copies via email or on USB media or CDs.

• Reduce the number of printers by sharing on a wireless network.

• Recycle paper, ink and toner cartridges and even the printer when its lifecycle is complete.

“Our company is also committed to the environment at the enterprise level,” says McCullough, since this is where its printers and solutions are found in many large Canadian organizations.

The ‘Print Less, Save More’ strategy has been applied to larger enterprise printing, where the company works with organizations to optimize, and often times consolidate, hardware utilized for overall printing. It also reduces paper consumption considerably through innovative Lexmark solutions such as Print Release (an individual key card that releases printing jobs), which effectively eliminates the familiar piles of uncollected paper at a device, as well as workflow enhancements that eliminate the need for paper and thereby reduce the total number of printed pages.

More information can be found online at www.lexmark.ca or toll-free at 1-800-539-6275.

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• Think before you print. Whether at home or at work, just take a moment to print smarter. Review all documents from the computer and only print final versions when necessary. Share soft (electronic) copies of documents when possible. Also, reduce your margins in text documents to get more content onto each page, therefore reducing total number of pages used.

• Print on both sides of the paper.Check to see if your printer offers a duplex or two-sided printing option. This automatically cuts the amount of paper being used and therefore your cost of paper supplies is reduced by up to 50 percent.

• Print text only (or print in draft mode) to reduce the amount of ink used.

• Use high-yield cartridges to reduce your cost per page.

• Share printers in the home or office through wireless networking technology.

• Recycle your printed pages and use paper with recycled content. If you print on one side only, save those pages in a designated spot and use again on the blank side. Use a designated blue box for this, placing the side with text face down to make re-use easier.

• Look for electronics with a longer warranty, such as Lexmark’s Professional Series inkjet products which offer an industry-leading five year warranty to extend the life cycles of your devices.

• Join a Supply rewards program. Supply programs reduce your costs and reward you for purchasing and recycling original cartridges. With select Lexmark colour laser printers and MFP’s, program participants can receive free cartridges, imaging kits and free shipping for participating. For full program details visit www.lexmarkrewards.com.

• When the printer’s lifecycle is complete, return the printer to a dedicated collection point for recycling.

• Reduce energy usage by switching the device off after use.

• Choose a multifunction device that allows you to scan a document into a digital format for storage on shared folders, archiving or sending through e-mail.

More information can be found online at www.lexmark.ca or toll-free at 1-800-539-6275.

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Here are answers to some common questions about CFLs.

Are CFLs safe?

According to a recent report from Natural Resources Canada, CFLs do not pose a health hazard to the general population. That said, ensure you are careful when disposing of a broken CFL bulb.

Who is using CFLs?

Many Canadians are using CFLs. In fact, in a recent national online Omnibus study prepared for Philips Lighting, the largest percentage of respondents use between one and 10 energy efficient CFL bulbs in their home.

Why should you choose CFLs over incandescent?

The study also showed that 76% of the respondents say they choose CFLs to save money on energy bills; 68% say CFLs last longer than regular bulbs; and 65% say CFLs are more environmentally responsible.

Where should you put CFLs?

Debbie Cromb, marketing manager at Philips Lighting, suggests that CFLs are a perfect replacement for most standard incandescent applications. “Philips EnergySaver compact fluorescent lamps can be used for many applications. From table lamps and recessed lighting to decorative fixtures, compact fluorescents are available in the shapes and sizes you are accustomed to,” says Cromb.

Are there different kinds of CFLs?

Recent research and development has lead to the creation of many different types of CFL bulbs. There is a wide range of sizes, wattages, styles and colours of high quality energy efficient bulbs available on the market. Switching from standard incandescent to Philips EnergySaver compact fluorescent bulbs can help reduce your electricity bill and save energy, while helping you create the perfect lighting for your many moods.

It is important to have the right lighting solutions in your home, so make sure you do your research and choose what is good for you and the environment.

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http://365daysoftrash.blogspot.com/

Here is a list of some of the tips for living earth friendly.

1) Get off unwanted catalog and junk mail lists.

2) Minimize your marketing material – smaller point and fewer pages.

3) Sign up for electronic bill pay.

4) Minimize meetings – do more via email, phone and video

5) Coast to stop signs – slow down and cost to a stop sign to conserve gas.

6) Open the window, turn off the light – Don’t turn on the overhead lights unless you need them to work.

7) Turn off your computer – If it is not your web server, turn it off before you go home at night.

Use the required paper quality for the project – don’t print drafts on high quality paper.

9) Read the newspaper online – You can get more news in less time anyway

10) Buy more 2nd hand things – Why not use get something you need from someone else who has it but no longer needs it? Save on manufacturing and check craigs list.

These are just 10 tips from the 100’s of ideas you can get from browsing the Living Green Listings.

As summer approaches, kids and adults alike will shift into vacation mode. School and work make way to activities like hiking through the woods, overnight camping in the countryside and sitting around a bonfire to enjoy the wilderness. But along with the fun comes responsibility for potential impact on the environment.

This year, Toshiba of Canada and Scouts Canada have partnered to promote a program called Leave No Trace. It provides guidelines to Scout leaders and outdoor enthusiasts on how Canadians can reduce their environmental impact when they hike, camp, picnic and swim.

“Through Scouting, I can participate in outdoor activities year-round,”said Jessica Page, Deputy Executive Commissioner (Youth), in British Columbia, Scouts Canada. “Leave No Trace means I can take pride in making sure future campers get to experience the same beauty I see today.”

The Toshiba of Canada and Scouts Canada Leave No Trace program offers seven principles on how you can continue the momentum on environmental gains by minimizing your environmental footprint outdoors.

1. Plan ahead and prepare – Repackage food to minimize waste.

2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces – Protect riparian areas by camping at least 70 metres from lakes and streams.

3. Dispose of waste properly – Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter.

4. Leave what you find – Preserve the past. Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.

5. Minimize campfire impacts – Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand. Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely and then scatter cool ashes.

6. Respect wildlife – Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviours and exposes them to predators and other dangers.

7. Be considerate of others – Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience. Let nature’s sounds prevail.

Learn more about the Leave No Trace program at www.scouts.ca/LNT

News Canada

About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

1. Let it grow: Whether you’ve got a backyard garden or a condo balcony, let your children help tend to the plants. If you’ve got the space, let your children choose vegetables they’d like to grow, and help them through the process of planting, watering, weeding and eventually picking the vegetables. Chances are they won’t wrinkle their nose at the taste of these home-grown veggies. If you’re limited to a window garden or balcony plants, try growing fresh herbs or tomatoes.

2. Consider composting: If you haven’t started a compost yet, make it a family project. If you’ve got kids who love to get dirty, this is the job for them: they’ll be fascinated with the transformation of egg shells, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels and yard waste and will undoubtedly want to be in charge of turning or aerating the compost.

3. Encourage environmental efforts: If you’ve got a teenager who would rather spend time with friends than with the whole family, encourage involvement in an environmental club or effort such as the Otesha Project (www.otesha.ca), a youth movement towards sustainable consumption or the Canon Envirothon (www.envirothon.org), North America’s largest high school environmental education competition where teens solve real environmental issues through in-class projects and hands-on field experiences.

4. Rainy day recycling: Gloomy weather outside doesn’t mean you have to put your green efforts on hold and flip on the TV for the kids. Use the indoor day to sort through items that you might no longer need and put two of the Rs (reduce and reuse) into practice by prepping for a yard sale or a donation to a local charity.

5. Book it: If they don’t have them already, take your entire family to get library cards and support frequent visits. Not only does this reduce family purchases, it encourages your family to read.

Web links:

Otesha Project www.otesha.ca
Canon Envirothon www.envirothon.org

News Canada

About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

As one example, Wal-mart saved $3-million (U.S.) by shrinking the cardboard box holding one line of private label toys. The one-inch reduction in height and width, and the elimination of plastic wrapping, reduced cardboard use by 3,450 tons and plastic by 600 tons.

A representative of the Packaging Association of Canada said that while Wal-Mart’s decision is positive for the industry and the environment, packaging is not the environmental evil that many people think it is. “There’s an incredible perception that packaging is playing this huge role in filling up landfill sites,” he said. “The reality is it is really a pimple on the back of a giant elephant.”

Still, this represents some positive leadership, even if part of the reason is profit motivated.

Meanwhile, at the conference where this announcement took place, examples of new compostable packaging were being shown. One company was showing fibre trays (like those used to hold packaged fruits and vegetables) made entirely of palm oil. Another showed off clear resin packaging it makes from corn.