Paper Less Living: Preparing To Go Paper Less

Statistically Speaking…
In 2007, Americans generated about 83 million tons of paper and paperboard, and recycled 45.2 million tons, equivalent to a 54.5 percent recycling rate. (source)

Over 50% recycled! The fact that we are recycling over half  is great news and the awareness of recycling has grown exponentially since 2007. My 4 year old is even running around talking about recycling. The word is getting out there but I know we can do better. During this series my main goal is to help you cut back on the amount of paper coming into our lives in the first place.

A common tip any professional organizer would give regarding something like junk mail would be to go straight to the trash can and dump the junk after getting the mail.

Now I know this sounds crazy, but the first thing I want you to do in order to prepare yourself to go PAPER LESS is to keep all of your paper for the next month! Huh? You got it. I want you to get 4 boxes. Label them Toss, Recycle, Shred, Keep.

Now, I’m not talking paper plates and tissues. Just your everyday incoming paperwork. Don’t empty your files! I just want you to collect what comes in and you can quickly do a sweep through the house and collect all of the piles you have not attended to yet.

For any actionable item you get, such as bill or magazine you want to read, go ahead and pay it or read it then put it in the box you would normally put it in. If you have a magazine don’t say I “could” recycle this and throw it in the recycle box. If you normally would toss it, put it in the toss box.  Do the same for things you would normally shred and keep.

I know this activity sounds counter productive but it serves a purpose for three reasons:

1. Enables you to visually see how much paper that is really being used in your household every month. It’s easy to toss it and not think about it, but who is that really helping? I want you you to see the big picture in terms of how you might be contributing to the waste.

2. Helps you cut back on the amount of paper that comes in and in turn become more productive. Once you have saved up your paper for a month it will be easy to see what you have and what you can do about it. You can go back through this guide and see how you can tackle each item.

3. Allows you to do your part for the environment. Even if you don’t have recycling options in your neighborhood, this process will help you cut back on the amount of paper coming in and will cut back on waste going out.

Now, I want to hear from you… Are you willing to try? Do you think it’s crazy to attempt? Have questions or need clarification? I want to get the discussion going during this series so don’t be afraid to speak up, it will help everyone involved!

To start from the beginning go back to the main page- Paper Less Living: Simple Solutions For Downsizing Your Paper Pile Up