In my coming posts I will be re-focusing on the "quick fix" suggestions for business that can make a big environmental difference. Please send me any that YOU can think of at environmentaloutrage@gmail.com !
1. CVS Prescriptions- At least here in DC, CVS is the most popular place for everyone to get prescriptions. The medicine is put in a bottle, then inside a paper bag, then an informational paper attached to the front, and then usually put in a plastic bag. All of these paper bags they use to fill the hundreds of thousands of prescriptions CVS fills nationwide everyday have a very small red recycling logo on the bottom. Nobody sees it (well, ALMOST nobody...) and guaranteed the vast majority of people throw this paper bag in the trash. CVS- it's really simple, there is nothing on the side of the bag. In big bold letters it should say "RECYCLE THIS BAG." ALMOST everyone can recycle where they live these days, but one of the most common reasons people don't is because they never stop and think about whether a product they have been trashing for years might actually be recyclable! So let's start making it a little more clear...eventually people will catch on...YES, ANY paper can be recycled (that includes your junk mail, shopping guides, old newspapers, cardboard boxes...come on people!)
2. Grocery Stores- That goes for you too! Every plastic bag should be required to have "recycle this bag" printed on it, or preferably "recycle this bag at ----" and provide the location. The extra printing costs for grocery chains will be nearly invisible.
3. Printing, Copying, Office stores- Most copy centers use 25-35 % post-consumer waste (recycled) paper. Copy centers should regularly carry 100 % post-consumer paper and should always ask the customer which they would like to use. The difference in price to use this paper, when divided per sheet, would pass only about 1 extra cent on to the customer. Its small enough that the store can pick up that cost, but if not, there are certainly many who would pay 1 extra penny to have 100 % recycled paper. These stores should also all stock 100 % post-consumer waste paper in the shelves.
These are some starters. Please add your own in the comments!
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2 comments:
ScottAU,
Quick question. What's the source for your claim that 100% post-consumer paper only costs one more penny than the alternative? Just curious.
It is my own calculation based on prices from http://www.thegreenoffice.com/ .
You can buy 100 % for $10 for a ream of 500 sheets. A 500 sheet ream of 25-35 % usually costs $5-6. They order in mass so it costs less in reality.
$10 for 500 sheets is 2 cents per sheet which is LESS actually than a 1 cent difference from what they are using now per sheet. At the MOST they would pass 1 more cent per copy on to the consumer, at best, they could definitely afford to eat the cost of .75 cents approximately per copy) since they already vary in how much they charge for black and white and color copies at various copy centers.
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