Alice in Paperland

I didn't make paper today, but I thought you might enjoy Paper Alice. Just be sure to wear dance clothes when you watch as the music is truly moving. Honestly though, I found this video on a whim, and it's actually pretty interesting. I had no idea paper was so easy to make, and I might try it sometime soon.

However, I did do something less interesting related to paper today. To begin, I want to say that the purpose of today's action is to demonstrate that each of us has the power to better the world through actions other than simply those available to us in our own homes. The key is to look around and find something that you feel capable of improving. I noticed that my place of business throws away a lot of paper, so, today, I acquired a red recycling bin and put it next to a commonly used employee trashcan. The bin is marked 'Paper Only,' and I asked my boss if I could put it there. At this point, since the company has no recycling program of its own, I'll have to be in charge of emptying the bin. But, I think it's worth it considering the average American uses 7 trees per year from paper, wood, etc... 7 trees might not sound like a lot, but 7 times each of the hundreds of millions of people living in the US is a lot. Moreover, I'd wager most businesses likely consume more trees than the average person, so creating a recycling program at work is a small action with great potential for measurable, positive, environmental impact.

It's worth knowing that 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away annually.
Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees. That's not to mention the nonrenewable resources preserved...

Disclaimer: This blog is not intended to only be about recycling. For tomorrow, I'll try to find something to do that is not recycling related.