Change the Margins.com

Change the Margins: A campaign to save the environment by changing paper margins.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR MARGINS
OK, so until we can get Microsoft to change the default margins in Word, here’s how to do it on your own. It should take no more than twenty seconds and just a few clicks of the mouse. I suggest setting your margins to .75″, which will save an immense amount of paper over the long haul, but still leaves you with a little bit of space on the sides. For those of you on the metric system, I’d recommend setting your margins to 2 centimeters, which is just over .75″.

ON PCs:

For Older Word

On your WORD screen, go to FILE, then PAGE SET UP.

Click on the MARGINS tab, and fill in your desired settings. Then click on the DEFAULT button (it’s on the bottom of the Margins tab). You’ll be offered “Do you want to change the default settings for the page set up? This change will affect all new documents based on the normal template.” Click YES.

In Word 2007

Go to the Page Layout Tab

Click on Margins

Set the top, bottom, right, and left margins to .75.

Click the Default button.

Click Yes

ON MACs:

On your WORD screen, go to FORMAT, then DOCUMENT.

Once on DOCUMENT, click on MARGINS and you’ll be able to fill in the settings for your margins.

Rob Wolff – Recycling CDs

Ron and I were cleaning some shelves in Systems as the power was out this morning. We have a lot of CDs we’re getting rid of, and I found online the CD Recycling Center of America which happens to be in Salem, NH.

http://www.cdrecyclingcenter.org/

They offer free recycling (except shipping) of CDs, DVDs, etc. Just thought I’d pass it on to others.

-Rob Wolff

Sustainability Links and Websites to Check Out

While we’re on the subject of sustainability here are some websites to check out!

UNH Office of Sustainability Blog: Discovering Sustainability

Bring Your Own: avoiding generating more trash with disposable items

TreeHugger – news and ideas and tips for becoming greener

The Story of Stuff

What are some of the best websites you know of about sustainability?  Leave us a comment and share them!

SDC: Greening Your Office Workshops

The workshop yesterday was a great success!

We had some great ideas for improving the library.  Here are a few of the ideas and/or tips we came up with:

Before you print stop and consider, do you really need that item printed?  If you do, can you do it double sided?  Or with multiple pages per sheet?  Did you know that inkjet printers are MUCH more energy efficient than laser printers?  Also, don’t forget that ink cartridges can be refilled for cheaper than replacing them.

Laptops use 50% less power than desktops, so if you can use a laptop instead, go for it!

Food related waste is one of the biggest sources of waste in workplaces.  Things like paper plates, plastic silverware and excess packaging really add up.  According to our presenter, in America we produce four pounds of trash every day!  How can you help?  B.Y.O.  Bring your own lunch, or if you eat out, bring your own reusable silverware, bowls, or cups.  Bring your own chopsticks!  Don’t buy bottled water, carry a water bottle with you and refill that.  The same goes for coffee, have a ceramic mug or a travel mug and reuse it.  Also buy local when you can, that reduces the need for preservation, packaging, transportation costs.

When you grocery shop bring reusable bags.  Lots of places now reward you for not using the plastic/paper bags by giving you bag credits.  Hannaford where I shop gives $0.05 a bag.  In addition to bringing reusable bags you don’t need to put all your produce into the little plastic bags.  Your potatoes and onions and avocados can happily ride all together in the shopping cart and in your reusable bag.  The same goes for fresh fruits!  Avoid excess packaging in deli products.  Instead of tons of pre-wrapped cheese slices why not get them fresh sliced at the deli?  One more grocery tip, if you do buy something that has a ton of packaging that it doesn’t really need (like tea bags which come in little foil sleeves, inside a wax paper bag, inside a box, covered in shrink wrap) there’s always (or almost always) a number on the side of the box.  Give them a call and let them know you’re not interested in having so much packaging.  Also if you’re choosing NOT to buy something because of excess packaging tell them that as well.

At home: unplug appliances when they’re not being used.  They suck up energy even when turned off!  Just pull the plug on them until you need them.  Televisions are huge energy hogs especially.  Our presenter said they almost use MORE when they’re turned off than when they’re actually on.  That’s CRAZY!  Replacing regular lightbulbs with compact fluorescent ones is also an excellent idea.  Washing your laundry with cold water, there are tons of cold water detergents out there now.  We’ve also changed over to concentrated detergent so we use less and there’s less plastic in the bottles we buy.  Now if only I could get them to refill my detergent bottles!

What are your best conservation and sustainability ideas?

SDC Event – Greening Your Office

Are you interested in becoming more sustainable at work and at home? Would you like to know how you can help to lessen your impact on the earth and reduce your carbon footprint? Wondering what you can do to get a little more ‘green‘?

Then the SDC sponsored “Greening Your Office” workshop is the thing for you!

The University Office of Sustainability is going to be hosting three “Greening Your Office” workshop and discussion sessions.

There will be three sessions at three different times so that as many people as are interested can attend. Here are the dates, times and locations:

Monday May 12th in Dimond room 343 from 2-3PM

Monday May 19th in the Multimedia Classroom on Level 2 from 10-11 AM

and
Monday May 19th in the Multimedia Classroom on Level 2 from 2-3 PM

Please RSVP by sending me an e-mail. If you’d like to attend and which session you’re interested in.

If the weather is nice enough some sessions may be moved outdoors!

Hope to see you there!