[GRRN] Questons about lifetime environmental costs and impact

["Marjorie Isaacson" <maisaacson@hotmail.com>]

We are making office policy reccomendations and these questions came up. I 
would appreciate either answers to these questions or references to sources 
that would help answer them.  Thanks.

1) When reproducing multiple copies of the same document, which is more 
energy and material efficient - using your laserwriter or photocopier?  I 
know that one could make a stab at the base costs by doing the math (like, 
number of copies one gets per cartridge) but this doesn't take into account 
other things I dont know how to measure - like a photocopying machine is 
made for making multiple copies, whereas a printer isn't necessarily.  And 
undoubtably there are other issues I don't know about.

2) What about the environmental impact/tradeoff between paper towels and a 
service for continual roll washable cloth towels?  The paper towels can be 
made of recycled paper, and the white-white cloth rolls probably are kept 
that way with copious quantities of bleach and hot water.
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com


*****************************************************
    To post to the greenyes list, send a letter to:
greenyes@earthsystems.org
    To unsubscribe, send a message to:
greenyes-request@earthsystems.org with the subject
unsubscribe.  If you have any problems, please
write to www@earthsystems.org.
    The GreenYes Listserv depends on reader support.
Your tax-deductible contribution in any amount can be
made by mail (check) or on the web (credit card) at
our website: http://www.grrn.org. Just click on the
"Support GRRN" button.
    GreenYes is archived at our website. Just click
on the "GreenYes Listserv" button for directions.
******************************************************