A walk through an office supply store will demonstrate that conservation-wise consumers have many choices to consider with green office products.

Certainly more paper products are following the "greening" trend by prominently labeling recycled content percentages on packaging. That content for plain copy paper can range from 10 to 100 percent while folders, file pockets and such tend to range from 10 to 30 percent.

Some other common office products displaying the familiar recycle triangle is for remanufactured toner and inkjet cartridges and molded plastic items.

Otherwise, consumers should be aware of the impact of the packaging for many office items. Those blister and rigid plastic containers are rarely recyclable.

Green office supplies can be readily found online. Perhaps more valuable is the free advice and guidance from some of the sites. For example, www.thegreenoffice.com offers this advice:

Paper: When buying paper consider the two P's: pulp and process. Because most pulp these days is made from unsustainably harvested trees, it is important to purchase paper made from recycled content. Post-consumer recycled content is best because it closes a material-use loop that does not rely on fresh-cut trees.

Technology: The introduction of the U.S. EPA Energy Star program has raised visibility and awareness for the energy-efficiency of electronics and appliances. Energy Star began in 1992 and has grown to encompass 35 product categories. An Energy Star certified office computer, for example, is 52 percent more efficient than a standard computer.

Another green-friendly site for the office is The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Web site at www.epa.gov/oaintrnt/practices/recycling.htm.

Here the U.S. EPA attacks the problem of waste reduction and recycling as two ways to reduce the amount or toxicity of trash created. The site goes on to feature regional best practices to make it easy to recycle.

- The Southern