By Miranda Frazier

Did you know today is also Earth Day? The global environment is a growing concern for everyone these days. See how FranklinCovey has joined the fight to help protect our precious resources.

FranklinCovey is committed to being more responsible, greener citizens of planet Earth. In 1998, we began using 30% postconsumer recycled paper for our ring-bound planner pages, and we print every planner page right here in America. Many of our business cases and totes already use all-natural vegetable dyes for amazing color and patinas. It’s all part of our effort to support a healthy environment and our local economy.

Recently, we’ve partnered with industry-leading Quad Graphics—which conforms to strict Environmental Protection Agency standards—to print our catalogs using Envirotech Ink, which contains 27.3% renewable resources. We’re also taking other exciting steps to reduce our carbon footprint—including introducing our first-ever planner printed on 100% recycled paper, Original Green Planner Pages.

The process is simple: Waste paper is collected, sorted, baled, and transported to a paper recycling plant. At the paper factory, used paper is mixed with water to pull inks away from the paper fibers. The pulp mixture then passes through several different-sized screens, which separate the paper fibers from paper clips, staples, and other contaminants. The clean pulp is then pressed into sheets, dried, finished, and placed onto large rolls and ready for printing.

Here are some tips to help you join us in going green:

• Have piles of old newspapers and flyers? Gather them together and take them to your local pet stores or animal shelters. They appreciate it more than you know.
• Your office doesn’t recycle? Initiate a workplace recycling program where you trade off bringing the recyclables to a recycling station. You’ll be amazed how much waste can be reused.
• What is the worst material out there? Styrofoam and polystyrene (cups, food trays, packing peanuts, egg cartons, etc) does not biodegrade; make a special effort to reuse these materials. Decorated cups make great pen or pencil holders and egg cartons make great paint palettes. Packing peanuts can be reused or donated back to shipping companies.
• Have leftover materials lying around? Donate unused construction items (tiles, paint, wallpaper, carpet) to Habitat for Humanity.
• Want your own notepaper? Instead of using sticky notes only once, take paper printed on one side and cut it into four equal parts and stack for easy use. You can even take it to your local copy shop to be bound into pads for just a few dollars. Then reuse a paper clip to attach your notes.
• Practice “precycling”! Evaluate each purchase to make sure you really need it, or purchase it in an environmentally friendly way. For example, don’t take plastic bags when you can carry items in your purse, tote, or hands instead.

As the world’s population increases, we will all see a rise in the need to reuse and recycle as much as possible. Within a few minutes, you can find a source to help you recycle or dispose of most anything you have in your home, including old smoke detectors, computer discs, and cell phone batteries. Most importantly, take the time to make sure all the companies you purchase from are committed to staying green.

FranklinCovey pledges to continue adding more recycled options to our product line. New to our lineup are Ecojot™ 100% recycled notebooks, Envirosax Reusable Totes, and a special edition Retro 51 pen made out of earth-friendly bamboo.

Keep checking back for exciting additions to our green team! And, happy Earth Day to you!