Michael E. Shepherd, director of UALR’s Office of Purchasing, offers suggestions to make offices more sustainable for this week’s “Speaking of Green” message from the campus’ Sustainability Committee.

• Switch to remanufactured cartridges. By simply switching to remanufactured cartridges, offices can reduce up to 10 percent on ink and toner expense, divert waste from landfills, and reduce the amount of oil and electricity needed to create new cartridges.
• Switch to 30 percent or upgrade to 100 percent recycled paper. Today, it is almost impossible to tell the difference in quality and brightness between non-recycled and recycled paper. Although recycled paper can be more expensive, cut down the amount of paper used by switching from single-sided to double-sided printing.
• Ship Green. By consolidating orders and switching to once-a-week or twice-a-week delivery, packaging is reduced, purchase transactions’ costs are minimized, and the carbon footprint associated with deliveries will also drop dramatically.

Shepherd suggests all UALR offices consult the Office Depot “Green Book” for more opportunities to become more sustainable. The books are available in Purchasing, or individual offices may purchase them – item number 250156.