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At-Home Activity: Make a GOOS Paper Box

Create a special place that will encourage everyone in your home, school, or office to reduce and reuse paper.

What is GOOS paper?

Is it when you decide to write an essay on migration?

Or maybe when your homework is stolen by a Canada goose who just won't give it back?

While we do love our Canada geese, in this case the word GOOS is an acronym. It stands for: 

Good

On

One

Side

So GOOS paper is any piece of paper that has been used on one side, but still has a blank side that's good for all kinds of uses, including handwritten notes, drawing, or printing a rough draft of a document.

Using up each piece of paper as much as you can is one of the ways you can change your everyday behaviour to have a positive impact on the environment.

 

A box with geese silhouettes drawn on the side sits on top of a home printer

Arb staff member Minnow has a GOOS paper box at home.

 

Make a GOOS Paper Box

By making a special place for your GOOS paper and placing it where it is easily seen, you can encourage everyone in your home, classroom, or office to both think about reducing their paper use overall and get in the habit of reusing paper as much as possible.

Your box, bin, or basket can be as big and colourful or as subtle as makes sense in your space. And while you don't have to follow the GOOS/goose theme, it does provide some fun options! 

Check out this video Ecoschools Canada made for National GOOS Paper Day* 2020 for some great design and activity ideas:

  

*National GOOS Paper Day is the first Thursday in April

 

Reduce, Reuse, THEN Recycle

When following the three R's of waste reduction, it is key to follow them in order. When it comes to using less paper: 

  • first reduce the amount of paper you use in the first place (ex. only print when absolutely necessary, switch to online billing, and buy paper already made from recycled materials)
  • then reuse paper as much as possible (ex. have a GOOS paper box by the printer & turn smaller scraps into a notebook)
  • and only recycle if the paper is truly out of uses (some used paper at the Arb never makes to the recycling bin because it gets shredded and put in the worm bin instead!)  

Final Tips

  • Embrace the spirit of GOOS paper by making and decorating your box out of scrap materials you have at home
  • Remember that GOOS paper can come from anywhere; lots of junk mail and school letters are one-sided 
  • Make sure everyone knows that documents with private information on them shouldn't go in a shared GOOS box
  • Consider having a separate box for scraps of colourful paper that can't go in the printer but can be used in crafts and collages
  • Visit ecoschools.ca/goospaperday for more activity ideas
  • Have fun!

Close up of a silhouette of a flying goose drawn on a box