How to Use the Same Paper Twice Through a Printer

People use more paper than is necessary.

Paper is used in offices and homes across the world, and many people use more paper than necessary. In an effort to conserve paper, you could save paper printed on one side and reuse it in your computer printer. Using the same paper twice through a printer will reduce the amount of paper used. Save a printer paper box to store one-sided paper to keep the paper crisp and unwrinkled. Recycled paper isn't appropriate for business presentations or school papers but can be used for personal lists and rough drafts of projects.

Things You'll Need

• Computer printer paper box (top or bottom)
• Paper printed on one side only
• Computer printer
• Staple puller (optional)
• Scissors (optional)

Instructions

1. Place computer paper that only has printing on one side into an empty, clean computer printer paper box. Use the top or the bottom half of the box. Keep the box near the computer printer to increase the likelihood that you'll remember to place one-sided printed paper there. Remove any staples with a staple puller or if your computer printer will still function adequately, you can cut the corner with the staple away from the sheet of paper directly below the staple.

2. Load paper that is printed on one side into your computer printer paper tray in the direction necessary to allow your printer to print on the blank side. You can't use the same paper twice in your computer printer if both sides of the paper have been previously printed on. Reusing the paper will require one blank side. Experiment if you aren't sure which direction to load the paper. Some computer printers require the printed side to be facing you. Some computer printers require the blank side of the paper to be facing you.

3. Print on the paper in the same way you would use your computer to print on a piece of paper with two blank sides. You cannot use one-sided blank paper to print new documents on both sides of the paper.

Tips & Warnings

• You can reuse "junk mail" measuring 8 ½ inches wide by 11 inches long with one printed side as well. Remove any staples. Likewise, save papers sent home from school and even student worksheets that only have used one side of the paper. Separate colored paper from white paper. You can load multiple sheets of one-sided paper into a computer printer paper tray just as you would two-sided blank paper. Make sure all of the printed sides are facing the same direction so you won't accidentally print your new document over previous printing.

• Make sure to remove staples from paper being used twice. Staples may jam your computer printer. To avoid paper jams, don't use wrinkled, folded, or ripped paper in a computer printer.

References

• Intel: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Printer Supplies