Thinking Globally
Acting Locally
Luper Neidenthal & Logan
1200 LeVeque Tower
50 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3374
(800) 345-4079
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LNL Named Climate Challenge Partner
By David Scott
LNL was the first Ohio law firm to achieve the “Climate Challenge Partner” designation
from the American Bar Association/Environmental Protection Agency (ABA/EPA) Law
Office Climate Challenge(http://www.abanet.org/environ/climatechallenge/partners.shtml).
In order to maintain this prestigious status and to continue our best efforts towards
waste reduction and sustainability, LNL had to take specific steps to conserve energy
and resources.
Law offices tend to be paper-intensive, and the production and disposal of paper
consumes substantial amounts of energy and generates significant quantities of greenhouse
gas emissions. One large Washington, DC. law firm buys about 100,000 sheets of copying
and printing paper per attorney per year, which is almost one page per minute of
attorney billable time, and which amounts to a half-ton of paper per year. The life-cycle
of a ton of paper, from production to disposal in a landfill, results in the generation
of about 11 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) - equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.
Law offices can undertake simple and effective "best practices" to improve office
paper management, including:
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Assure that at least approximately 90 percent of all types of copier, printer, letterhead,
and bond paper, as well as business and manila envelopes purchased have at least
30% post-consumer recycled content
- Recycle at least approximately 90 percent of
discarded mixed office paper (defined as all types of white copier and printer paper,
bond and letterhead paper, note paper, colored paper, and envelopes)
- Institute a
policy of double-sided copying and printing for drafts and internal documents, which
generally is implemented by setting copiers and printers on double-sided as the
default mode and by making reasonable acquisitions of software and attachments as
needed to enable double-sided as the default mode.
Law offices may meet the Climate
Challenge by participating in one or more of three EPA partnership (i.e., voluntary)
programs, or by undertaking certain of the following office management "best practices:"
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Adopt "best practices" for office paper management by reducing paper usage, increasing
recycled content, or increasing recycling. Alternatively, implement these actions
by participating in EPA's WasteWise program, which encourages organizations to save
energy by reducing waste
- Participate in EPA's Green Power Partnership (Green Power)
program by purchasing energy from renewable sources to cover at least a portion
of electricity usage
- Participate in EPA's ENERGY STAR program, which encourages
law offices to reduce energy use by at least 10% through, among other things, the
purchase of ENERGY STAR-designated equipment and implementation of better energy
management practices. This program has features that recognize the issues associated
with tenant law offices
To remain a Climate Challenge Partner, the ABA-EPA challenge
requires that we comply with some strict guidelines and adopt best practices for
office paper management. LNL is proud to be committed to sustainable business practices
and represent clients that are equally committed.
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