reducing paper use - web viewthe pulp pollution primer. . appendix a: sample of information...

REDUCING PAPER USE AT MILES MACDONELL COLLEGIATE

CARING FOR OUR WATERSHEDSTM


This proposal outlines a plan to reduce the use of paper at my school, Miles Macdonell Collegiate. Producing and transporting paper causes deforestation, harmful carbon emissions, and emits excessive pollutants into our watershed. This document outlines the cause of concern, my solution, and a detailed budget.My Watershed My community is in the Lake Winnipeg watershed, part of the Hudson Bay drainage basin. Lake Winnipeg, the 10th largest freshwater lake on earth and sixth largest lake in Canada, has a watershed that is nearly a million square kilometres and home to seven million people (University of Manitoba, 2011). Many people living in our watershed are involved with agriculture or fishing.

Lake Winnipeg is also a recreational lake. Pollution that makes its way to Lake Winnipeg influences its health. My Issue Paper mill pollution is the third largest form of industrial pollution in Canada1. Laboratory tests have shown that paper mills alter the water levels and temperatures in lakes, making it difficult for some aquatic species to survive2. Most mills use sulfur

to get fiber from trees, emitting harmful chemicals such as sulfur dioxide into the air3. The sludge from these mills is sent to a landfill or burned4. Very few laws regulate how mills dispose their waste, and these few laws are not even strictly enforced5. My Solution

I was homeschooled from grade 7-9. When I came back to public school, the amount of paper used in just the first few months shocked me. I used a lot less paper when I was homeschooled! This was because I did more online 1 Mah, Terry. Robinson-Lewis, Lynne. Spicer, Suzanne. National Pollutant Release Inventory. http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/En40-495-1996-MR1E.pdf 2 Broten, Delores. Ritchlin, Jay. The Pulp Pollution Primer. http://www.rfu.org/cacw/PulpPrimer.htm 3 Broten, Delores. Ritchlin, Jay.4 Broten, Delores. Ritchlin, Jay.5 Broten, Delores. Ritchlin, Jay.


http://www.rfu.org/cacw/PulpPrimer.htm

http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/En40-495-1996-MR1E.pdf

instead of printing documents. Instead of printing out worksheets and essays, I saved them onto my email. My proposal will create incentive for teachers to print less paper, and if teachers print less paper and ask students to print less paper, our school will decrease our paper use enormously. My plan will encourage teachers to decrease their paper use by 25%.

1. In September 2016, I will introduce my plan at a staff meeting. At this point, I will already need to have funding from Agrium to provide incentive for teachers and staff at my school.

2. I will register teachers interested in participating in this plan. 3. I will acquire information on the paper use of each teacher registered

(See Appendix A). 4. I will share this information with each teacher individually in an online

document, giving them a maximum amount of paper they should print (75% of what they printed last year). This will be their “goal”. This document will contain suggestions to reduce paper use such as posting notes and assignments to the teacher’s website and requesting that students email the teacher their finished work instead of printing it (see Appendix B).

5. Teachers will receive this document in the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year. They should reach their “goal” by the end of the school year.

6. Teachers who reach their “goal” will receive a $25 gift certificate and have $25 donated to the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium on their behalf.

7. Teachers will receive updated documents on their paper use each month.

The Scope of my Proposal

My proposal directly affects my school, but indirectly it affects my entire community. Since teachers and students will know the benefits of using less paper, they will use less paper altogether. My proposal will give easy ideas to reduce paper (see Appendix B). Using less paper is good for the environment, less expensive, and more convenient. Once people learn to reduce their use of paper in one area, they will reduce their use of paper in other areas. In order for my proposal to succeed, it needs support from teachers and staff. To encourage participation, each teacher who reaches their goal of


reducing their paper use by 25% will receive a $25 gift certificate and $25 will be donated to the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium on their behalf. This incentive is absolutely necessary for my proposal. More teachers will participate in the program if they have a personal advantage that they will receive at a given time. The $25 donation to the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium will support research improving our lake. I have the support of school administration, who will be providing me with all the statistical information on paper use that I need (See Appendix A, C, D, E). At the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, I will present this initiative at a staff meeting, and register teachers to participate in this program. I will receive information about the amount of paper each teacher registered used throughout the previous school year (See Appendix A). I will compile a personalized document for each teacher with this information and email it to him or her. Throughout the new school year, teachers will reduce the amount of paper they print by 25%. Each month, they will receive an updated document keeping them on track to their goal. At the end of the year, each teacher that reduced his or her paper use by 25% will receive a gift card and a donation will be made on his or her behalf. Having formed a habit of using less paper, teachers and students alike will continue implementing paper-saving strategies into their daily activities.Benefits for the Environment

My proposal will show that reducing paper is economical, efficient, and environmental (see Appendix B). I will raise awareness for using less paper because the papermaking process affects the health of our ecosystems. It destroys habitats for the species in our environment. If we all use less paper, we can prevent our environment from getting even unhealthier. In addition, the donation to the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium will further improve water in our region. Resources Needed

In order to reduce the amount of paper printed at our school, I need gift cards and donation money as rewards for teachers who reduce their paper use. Although many teachers will agree that we should reduce our paper use, without incentive, few will actually do so. We have sixty-five teachers at our school; I am hoping that most will participate. I am asking Agrium to support my proposal by providing $3,000 for rewards for staff members who reduce the amount of paper they print by 25%.


We will transfer any leftover funds to continuing the program the following year. If any more contribution is needed from Agrium, Agrium will be contacted and we will request the additional funds. It is expected, however, that eventually our staff will overcome the need for this incentive, as reducing paper will become a regular habit.Expenses:

Item Amount per item

# of items Total project

cost

Total in-kind

Total cash needed

Incentive for teachers

$50 60 $3,000 $0 $3,000

Total $3,000 $3,000

Income:Organization/

Person$ committed,

requested, plan to ask

Total in-kind Total cash found

Agrium matching implementation

grant

Plan to ask 0 $3,000

Total $3,000

Conclusion

My proposal will reduce the amount of paper used at my school. Additionally, my proposal raises awareness of paper use, leading people to use less paper in all areas of their lives. With your support, Miles Macdonell Collegiate will serve as an example to other schools of how we can reduce our negative effects on the environment.


Works Cited (listed in the order they appear)

University of Manitoba Watershed Systems Research Project. Lake Winnipeg Facts. http://umanitoba.ca/interdisciplinary/programs/watershed/LW_facts.html

Mah, Terry. Robinson-Lewis, Lynne. Spicer, Suzanne. National Pollutant Release Inventory. http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/En40-495-1996-MR1E.pdf

Broten, Delores. Ritchlin, Jay. The Pulp Pollution Primer. http://www.rfu.org/cacw/PulpPrimer.htm


http://www.rfu.org/cacw/PulpPrimer.htm



http://umanitoba.ca/interdisciplinary/programs/watershed/LW_facts.html

Appendix A: Sample of information provided on teacher’s paper use from one printing machine


Appendix B: Example of online document for each staff member.


Amount of paper you have printed last school year:

Amount of paper you have printed this school year thus far:

Maximum amount of paper you should print if you would like to reduce your paper use by 25%:

Here are a couple suggestions on how to reduce your paper use:

Use your teacher website to post notes, upcoming assignments, answer keys, articles, and almost anything else.

Create a blog and have your students comment on current issues, create new ideas, and so much more.

Use Edmodo to share links and files with your students, show them their progress, and have them hand in assignments.

Have your students complete assignments electronically and email them to you instead of printing them out.

Teacher’s name, Did you know that our school spends nearly eight thousand dollars on paper each year? Every month, our school orders 100,000 sheets of 8.5x11 inch white paper alone! Producing paper affects our environment in many negative ways. It destroys forests that many species depend on for their basic survival. The papermaking process also emits chemicals that are harmful for our environment. On top of that, producing paper lowers the quality of our water1.

Today, we have the resources to reduce the amount of paper we use. By doing assignments, essays, and projects online, we can both benefit the environment and save money. In addition, having assignments online is much more efficient and convenient. There is much less chance that something will be lost or that dogs will eat somebody’s homework if their homework is not on paper.

I would like to challenge you to reduce the amount of paper you use by 25% this school year. Every staff member who reduces their use of paper by 25% will receive a $25 gift certificate and have $25 donated to the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium on their behalf. I trust that you will make an effort to do what is better for our earth.

1 Logan, Catalina. How does recycling paper affect the environment:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/185626-how-does-recycling-paper-affect-the-environment/

Thank you for making our school a greener place!

http://www.livestrong.com/article/185626-how-does-recycling-paper-affect-the-environment/

Appendix C: Data table showing my school’s current relevant paper expenses.Miles Macdonell Collegiate’s monthly paper expenses (excluding July)

Type of paper Number of packages

ordered per month

Price per package

Total price

8.5x11 inch 200 $3.82 $7648.5x14 inch 20 $4.86 $97.2011x17 inch 10 $7.64 $76.40


Appendix D: Sample order for paper from Miles Macdonell Collegiate (continues on next page)


Appendix D: Sample order for paper from Miles Macdonell Collegiate (continued from previous page)


Appendix E: Example of statistical information which will be provided by office staff and administration


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