A simple switch from regular paper to recycled paper can be a big savings for the environment.
According to the Environmental Defense Fund, a ton of recycled paper saves over 7000 gallons of water, 17-31 trees, 4,000 KWh of electricity, 60 pounds of air pollutants.
With the average office worker using over 10,000 sheets of paper per year or 700 pounds, this adds up to a lot of water, trees, electricity and pollution saved.
Although regular paper is cheaper than recycled paper, it is not by much. The average cost of a single paper ream is $5 whereas a recycled ream is averaging around $7.
For more information on the cost of managing paper, read my article, “The Cost of Managing Paper: A Great Incentive to go Paperless”, published by Inform IT.