Newsflash: British and Irish employees don't give a hoot about the environment – at least, judging by the amount of paper they waste every day at work. The facts, according to a study by Canon, are indisputable. They are also, according to me, unacceptable.
Yes, I fully realize that not every recycle bin actually makes it to a recycling plant. However, we can't allow ourselves to become too cynical and just throw out the baby with the bathwater because of it. In other words, don't stop recycling because you don't think your recyclables are ending up in the same landfill as your leftovers.
According to the study, Irish employees waste eight pages of paper per day, which turns into 3.8 million unnecessary printouts every day in Ireland alone! Can you imagine what the number must be in America?
I suppose it doesn't help that 42% of employees also believe that corporate environmental policies are just a dog and pony show and not intended to make a real difference.
Come on, people, didn't your mothers teach you about turning off the lights when you leave a room (especially in Europe, where electricity prices are outrageous)? Or to not waste food? Well, why not be more attentive to not wasting paper? It can't be that hard.