Fed Govt. Gets Greener (Oh, and Saves $102 Million)

StackSometimes articles about government tightening its belt and articles about government trying to save money can sound awfully similar. Case in point – today’s Wall Street Journal:

The Justice Department estimates it can save $573,000 through fiscal 2010 by setting up its printers and copiers to use both sides of the paper. By emailing some documents instead of printing them out, the Department of Homeland Security will save $318,000.

Both Homeland Security and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have pledged to take the same step that has sent the newspaper industry into a tailspin: They will start getting their news online free, rather than renew their subscriptions. Homeland Security will save $47,160, or 0.0000026% of the deficit. […]

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is going to save $3.8 million by refurbishing and reusing or selling its emergency trailers — like the ones provided to people displaced by hurricanes — instead of ditching them.

The Wall Street Journal article focused exclusively on the financial savings. But eliminating the need for nearly $1 million worth of paper products and keeping dozens of trailers out of a landfill? Sounds pretty green to me.

Photo via Flickr’s GlennHirsch

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Published: July 30, 2009