Since the 10th Saeima convened, 41 members of parliament have already renounced hard copies of documents related to plenary sittings. A symbolic green spruce is glued on their file boxes.
Since MPs have electronic access to plenary-sitting documents, they can work with them during sittings by using their laptops. Four committees and one parliamentary group have also given up paper documents.
Similarly, during the 9th convocation of the Saeima, more than 40 MPs did not use printouts.
In order to reduce paper consumption, documents related to plenary sittings are condensed as much as possible and copied on both sides. Document left over from plenary sittings, as well as other used papers, are collected and forwarded to Līgatne paper mill. The paper mill collects waste paper with its own transport free of charge.
Since April 2010, the parliament buildings have cardboard boxes where people put waste paper for recycling. These boxes are a handy way to collect waste paper from offices, committee meeting rooms and other areas of the parliament.
Since last April, each e-mail sent from the @saeima.lv domain contains a uniform signature asking the addressee to save natural resources and to consider before printing whether a hard copy is needed.
Recycling a ton of office paper saves approximately two tons of pulp. Paper recycling also saves a considerable amount of energy and water used in the manufacturing process.
Saeima Press Service