I have doubts about this concept of using double-sided copy as the default on copying. I realize that I don’t do 50-copy jobs or copy stacks of 100 sheets of paper, but I seem to always throw away twice as much paper as I originally planned on using. Judging by the recycling bin next to the copier, I’m not alone.
The larger problem for the environment is the possibility that most of probably don’t need to be making copies of most of this stuff in the first place. Â There are much better ways of sharing 10-50 copies of a document in this century than making printed copies–even if they are double-sided.
I have a better idea for a green initiative: Put the copying machines in one place in the building, and not next to every 50 cubicles. Cut the number of available machines in half [or less]. Â If someone truly needs to do a large copy job, they’ll make the trip to the copy room. For the rest of us, we’ll think twice about making the copies in the first place.