PaperlessKitchen Blog

Marketplace Article Illustrates The Economic Benefits Of Sustainable Business Practices

If you're the owner of a small business, developing a sustainability plan is obviously the responsible thing to do for the planet, but a recent article published on Marketplace.org (http://www.marketplace.org/topics/sustainability/wet-towels-hotel-rooms-corporate-goal) points out that it may also be good for your business, particularly if you hope to obtain large accounts from major corporations.

The article discusses a practice at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The hotel has adopted a policy of not providing clean towels to guests unless they specifically request them. This breaks from the water-conserving practices at most hotels in Vegas, where a card is normally placed in the room instructing guests to leave towels on the floor if they want new ones. If you're staying at Aria, it doesn't matter where you leave your towels; if you don't contact the front desk or housekeeping to make a special request, you won't be receiving clean towels at any time during your stay.

Marketplace discussed the reasons behind this decision with the leadership at Aria. It turns out that the resort established the policy because of the lengthy questionnaires that major corporations send to them when they are selecting a facility to host large conferences. Having special sustainability policies can give hotels an edge and help them secure the business of companies like IBM.

Even if you're not in the hospitality business, this article shows how beneficial green business practices can be. Large corporations use these types of forms for all types of event planning and purchasing, so if you wish to compete your industry and win large jobs, thinking big and taking steps to go paperless and conserve can help you get an edge.

Your Business Can Turn Waste Paper Into Toilet Paper!

Although it was released 2 years ago, the White Goat paper-recycling machine has made headlines again recently, as more and more companies in Japan are purchasing these systems.

The idea behind the White Goat is that companies can use their waste paper to develop another type of paper product that most businesses use on a daily basis: toilet paper. The company that manufactures White Goat estimates that for average-sized companies, the machine can recycle enough paper to save 60 trees each year.

Using the White Goat is simple. Employees simply place their waste paper into the machine's bin. From there, the paper is shredded and held until there is enough to create a roll of toilet paper. It takes roughly 40 sheets of A4 paper to make a single roll.

Interested in the White Goat? At this time, the machine costs $100,000, so it may not be a practical investment for small companies. For those with 50 or more employees, however, or fields that use large amounts of paper, the machine may pay for itself in no time.

We're Sprouting New Products!

Paperless Kitchen has added a select number of green alternatives to our collection for Back to School. Green Sprouts is a company devoted to making nontoxic alternatives to everyday products that kids use. Our new Green Sprouts lineup includes:

- Green Sprouts Disposable Placemats can be used virtually anywhere to protect your kids from grimy tabletops. They're free of paper pulp and can be doodled on with the nontoxic soy crayons sold with the mats.

- Green Sprouts Safari Bento Boxes are colorful fun alternatives to plastic sandwich bags. There's a monkey, a lion and a crocodile from which to choose.

- Green Sprouts Snack Cups are a smart disposable plastic solution that can be used to replace sandwich bags. The snack cups can be washed in the dishwasher up to 10 times or used longer if you handwash them.

Take a minute to check out our Green Sprouts products and let us know what you think!

New Program Helps Reduce Wasted Paper When You Print

Even if you're making an effort to reduce how much paper you consume by printing at home or work, there are some things that still require you to switch on the printer and crank out a document. How many times have you been aggravated to find that a vital document doesn't print properly, requiring you to waste another sheet of paper or more?

A new program from Cartridge World called PrintEco is designed to eliminate this common problem. For home use or companies with fewer than 25 employees, PrintEco is free to use. The software works with many common programs, including those in the Microsoft Office Suite. It also is compatible with Firefox, Internet Explorer and Chrome browsers.

When you use PrintEco, documents and web pages are optimized for printing. This means that margins are oriented the correct way and unwanted advertisements and other frames can be removed. You can also use the program to consolidate text to use less paper.

I experimented with PrintEco myself and found the program rather simple and straightforward to use. If you qualify for the free version, I recommend doing the same.

Own a larger company? Try playing with the home version to see what you think and then determine the cost-effectiveness of the program based on the results of your test-drive. Let me know what you think of PrintEco by leaving a message in the "Comments" section.

African Woman Uses Paper Waste to Support Her Family

With 10 children to feed, no husband and no means to find employment, Gabaiphe Tlhaloso of Francistown, Botswana was facing tremendous hardships. The single mother is illiterate, making her prospects seem bleak, but not one to lose hope, she began to brainstorm ways to support herself and her family.

Tlhaloso noticed how much paper waste was discarded around her home, and she became inspired to both clean up her neighborhood and put the waste paper to good use. She experimented and found a way to use old newspaper and boxes mixed with stones, grain husks and sand to make handicrafts.

Her beautiful pieces are intended for decorating her home, and she has set up a small shop at a flea market-type event. To decorate her art, Tlhaloso uses watermelon seeds, pebbles and other found items. Her works sell for $23 to $50, which may not seem like much; however, with her profits, she has been able to move her family of 11 from a one-room home to a two-room home.

Tlhaloso is actively trying to inspire other women in the area to put their skills to use to support her families. Her story is an inspiring one that deserves to be shared.

Green Dorm Room Must-Haves for Back to Campus

It's time to head back to campus for the 2013-2014 school year, and everywhere, people are starting to stock up on supplies. To help you get the necessities and still be green, here are top 10 Must-Haves for 2013 Back to Campus.

1. Bambooee Paper Towels will be a lifesaver for cleaning up spills in dorm rooms. They're also a tree saver since they're made from 100 percent bamboo.

 2. Eat Cleaning Wipes help remove bacteria, dirt and chemicals from the surface of fruits and veggies and are useful for polishing off an apple that's been stuffed in a backpack or kept on a desk.

3. ThinkSport sports bottles make it easy to stay hydrated while on campus. You can also carry coffee in them, and the ice filter can be used to brew tea. 

4. To-Go Ware 3-Tier Tiffins are a convenient way to take an entire meal to eat while on the go on campus or studying outdoors.

5. The e-Cloth Screen Cleaning Pack will help keep computers, tablets and smart phones free of fingerprints all semester long.

6. PeopleTowels are the green alternative to paper towels for hand wiping. Because of their compact size, you can easily tuck one in a backpack for use on the go.

7. The Twist Naked Sponge Kit gives you a variety of natural plant-based sponges to use for a variety of cleaning tasks in dorms.

8. A 100-pack of Bambu Veenerware plates will get college students through many boxes of pizza.

9. Eco Products Plant Starch Silverware is another surefire hit in the dorms and come in huge boxes of 1,000.

10. Method Tub and Tile Wipes will be a lifesaver when the ensuite bathroom starts to look dingy.

You can get all of these great green alternatives here at Paperless Kitchen along with tons of other back to school products.

Which Bag Wins in a Game of Paper, Plastic or Cloth?

Last month, we discussed a debate that's raging in Russia over whether it's better to ban paper bags in favor of paper bags or continue using plastic. The story got me to thinking about which actually is the most harmful to the environment, and the results really surprised me.

A professor at the University of Oregon, chemist David Tyler extensively studied the use of paper bags, plastic bags and cloth bags, evaluating them from every aspect to disposal. His research examined the environmental impact of all three types of bags. Here are some of the things that he found:

- In terms of carbon footprint or the impact of manufacturing the bags, plastic actually beat out both paper and cloth. The paper bags may not be surprising, but the fact that plastic, which is made from chemicals, had less of an impact than cotton bags astounded me. It turns out that the pesticides used on the cotton plants from which many bags are produced are the problem. The moral of the story is that going organic is the best way to ensure that your reusable cloth bag truly is the best choice for the Earth.

- When it comes to disposal, plastic bags break down the slowest when they reach landfills. Paper breaks down the fastest, while natural cotton fibers fall somewhere in between.

- If you're taking conservation into account, cloth bags win every time. Cotton is a renewable resource, as the plants quickly grow for harvesting each year. Although trees can be regrown, the paper pulp used to create paper is typically not viewed as a renewable product because of the time that it takes for a tree to fully mature. Plastic bags made from petrochemicals are clearly not renewable.

What do you think about these facts? Will it change how you carry your groceries and shopping? Let us know in the "Comments" section.

http://cascade.uoregon.edu/fall2012/expert/expert-article/

Thinksport Now Available at Paperless Kitchen

Paperless Kitchen has expanded our product line and added some new products that can help you take your favorite drinks with you when you're on the go without resorting to the use of paper or plastic disposables. Called thinksport Stainless Steel Sports Bottles, these bottles are sold in 12-ounce and 25-ounce sizes in several different colors.

Here's what makes thinksport bottles so unique:

- Designed by physicians and biotechnologists

- Stainless steel construction that is dishwasher-safe and free of BPA

- Double thick walls provide extra insulation

- Vacuum sealed design regulates temperature

- Tapered shape is easy to grip

- Perfect for hot or cold beverages

- Mesh filter for use with cold drinks keeps ice away from the spout and can be removed when drinking hot beverages

- Attached lid won't become lost and prevents spills

4 Tips for a Paperless 4th of July Party

Independence Day is almost upon us! If you're hosting guests this year for a barbecue or picnic and you're committed to having a paperless kitchen, why not make your party paperless?

Here are four ways that you can cut down on paper and still have a great party: 

1. Use green disposables. No one wants to spend time after a party washing tons of dishes, but that doesn't mean that you have to resort to using paper-based disposables at your get-together. Eco Products sugarcane disposable plates and silverware and Bambu bamboo disposables are perfect for replacing those paper-based products. Plus, they're compostable!

 2. Send e-vites! Don't mail paper invitations to friends and family this year. Use a free email invitation service, which also makes it easier to keep accurate head counts. Call and extend personal invitations to friends and family who still don't use email. 

3. Don't forget the towels. Place some organic cotton towels like the Full Circle in the Buff Dish Towel around the picnic area and the grill. When you have cloths handy, guests are less likely to go looking for paper if spills occur. You can also keep a roll of Bambooee bamboo paper towels or a stack of SKOY cellulose cloths on hand on the big day.

4. Swap for cloth. Cloth napkins are great for picnics, particularly if you choose a festive design that's red, white and blue or checkered like an old-fashioned tablecloth. Keep a basket on hand for guests to put their used napkins in, so it will be easy to launder the whole batch after the party.

There's nothing more patriotic than helping to protect our nation's forests, and by going paperless at your picnic, you can spread the word about the benefits of using less paper. If you're planning a paperless party the Fourth, we'd love to hear about it in the "Comments" section.

Take Mom on a Green Picnic for Mother's Day

Looking for something fun to do with Mom on Mother's Day? Because restaurants are always so crowded on that special day of the year, why not head out to a nearby park, beach or forest and enjoy a picnic? Mom is sure to love not having to cook for the day, and you can enjoy time together and the beauty of nature at the same time.

Here are a few tips that you can use to keep your picnic eco-friendly:

- Bike or walk to your picnic site if possible to save gasoline and make your day even more special.

- Select organic produce and antibiotic meats and poultry for your picnic lunch. Bring along some Eat Cleaner wipes to clean off apples, berries or other fruits before you eat.

- Take a large basket for foods that will stay fresh without being refrigerated and pack cold items in the OOTS! eco-friendly light blue lunch box.

- Use Bambu Veneerware plates in place of paper or plastic and bring along a roll of Bambooee bamboo towels to use instead of paper napkins. 

- Instead of plastic silverware, pick up the To-Go Ware Utensils Set, which includes five complete sets with a fork, knife, spoon and chopsticks. The utensils are washable, reusable and fashioned out of bamboo. You can give them to Mom to take home as a gift after your picnic is through. 

- Take your trash with you when you and then go and drop it off for composting or take it home to your own compost pile.