I've been a modern scrapbooker for the past decade. I've been pasting together photos and paper most of my life. I've gotten caught up in trends, used piles upon piles of paper and still have plenty of supplies to scrapbook the next five years. Because of this, I've slowed down my purchases and buy only items I need.
I save my paper scraps, but do I use them? Some, but not all. I have a plastic container full of scraps, waiting for me to organize and add them to my scrapbook pages. At least they're not in a landfill somewhere.
I've dramatically downsized my scrapbooking stash over the past five years. Things were used or sold, others donated, some shared with my children. I've learned to let go of items I won't use, focus on the things I will and stay organized. By doing these simple tasks, I've become a better and faster scrapbooker. I know where things are and don't have to search to find them.
I'm becoming an eco-conscious scrapbooker.
I'm becoming an eco-conscious scrapbooker.
Then I wonder about the scrapbookers who are complete opposite of me, tossing away chunks of paper without even thinking about it, buying even single new trend and have craft rooms that could easily be turned into scrapbook stores. All this clutter...is it worth it? Is it a waste of money and resources?
I read the facts:
The paper industry is the third largest industrial consumer of energy in the United States according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Paper is the most commonly recycled product, and yet is still one of the largest single components of landfills in the United States, comprising over 16% of landfill deposits equaling 26 million tons annually.
Paper is the most commonly recycled product, and yet is still one of the largest single components of landfills in the United States, comprising over 16% of landfill deposits equaling 26 million tons annually.
But there is good news:
Many more environmentally responsible printing and writing papers are available than there were even a few years ago.
The number of acres certified by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) in North America has grown by 66 million between January 2007 and January 2011. This represent a doubling of forests certified.
As of early 2011, there were more than 770 FSC-certified papers available in North America.
Over the past several years, I've seen this increase in the paper industry. There are more and more scrapbooking companies that are selling recycled and/or FSC-certified products. These are the scrapbooking supplies we need to be using in our paper dominated hobby. What else should we be doing? Or...
What else can we do to become smarter and more eco-conscious scrapbookers?
What else can we do to become smarter and more eco-conscious scrapbookers?
I present to you, The EcoScrapbooker Manifesto. Feel free to save/pin/share/print it. ~Danielle
**Upcoming Event: Earth Day Blog Hop on Sunday (April 22) - Join me and other scrapbookers as we share green projects and things to do. Need an incentive? There will be prizes!**
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