Eco-friendly printing statistics & household tips

As a buyer of green printing you are likely aware of the impact of the paper and printing industry on the environment.

For instance, recycling one ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil, and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity. That’s enough energy to power the average home for five months.

The average household uses, per person, approximately one 100-foot tall Douglas fir tree in paper and wood products per year. Here are some other household energy consumption statistics you may find interesting:

• An older model washing machine uses about 41 gallons per load versus the high-efficiency washing machines which use less than 28 gallons of water per load.
• A leaky faucet that drips just one drop per second can potentially waste more than 3,000 gallons of water each year.
• Letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours.
• A refrigerator built 20 years ago uses 70% more energy than today’s energy-efficient models.