A GREEN Government Guide, aimed at promoting environmentally friendly government, was launched by the Department of the Environment yesterday. It goes out to all government departments and is described as a series of guidelines rather than rules.
Asking public servants to make green housekeeping a feature of management, the guide wants re use envelopes for internal use; more Email communications to minimise paper use; and re usable rather than disposable cups and cutlery.
A department spokesman said it is hoped that the guide "will act as a stimulus on the departments to act on suggestions".
The guide recommends that all paper for internal use should be paper no longer needed for its original use or, failing that, should be loo per cent recycled. Paper for external use should have the maximum possible recycled content - the standard is 75 per cent - and the non recycled content of the paper should not be chlorine bleached.
Mr John Bowler of Greenpeace welcomed the move, "particularly if you look at the amount of paper used by the Government." He called the directive to be mandatory on the private sector.
"I would like to see the Government take the bold position of imposing these on the rest of the country. It has shown leadership in one way but it has to force the environmental issue with the private sector."
