Reducing Paper Usage in the Office

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Despite the rise in technology, the average office still uses an unbelievable amount of paper. Reducing your paper usage in the office will save a lot of energy and preserve natural resources. Here are some ways to can minimize the use of paper in your office.

How much paper does the average office use?

It is estimated that each office worker will use about 10,000 sheets of paper a year. Most of the waste that we see in offices is paper waste. Most of the paper that we throw out ends up in landfills. Here’s how you can reduce the amount of paper that you use in your office.

Share documents electronically, not physically to save paper.

Is printing necessary?

If you need a hardcopy of a presentation, document, contract, etc. make sure that you don’t print until you have entirely finalized and double-checked your document. So much paper is wasted by printing out a document before it is finalized, which means that you end up printing out copies that are then edited, corrected, and printed again. Instead, send documents around electronically and have workers check, edit, and make corrections before you print. That will save a ton of paper. It will also save you time spent printing, and money on more paper, toner, and energy.

Double-sided prints

You can cut your paper use in half by printing on both sides. Although double-sided prints may not work for all types of documents. When it comes to internal communication that is less formal, print on both sides to reduce your paper usage.

Technology

File sharing and cloud technology have made it much faster and efficient to work online instead of working with physical documents. Many more people can have access to documents, and work together in real-time by taking advantage of technology to improve communication and workload.

Reduce margins and font

Another way to save paper is to reduce your margins and font. Simply fitting more words onto each page will significantly reduce the use of paper in the office.

Recycle and Shred Paper

Finally, make sure that the paper you do use, is properly and responsibly disposed of so it doesn’t end up in landfills. Sign up for shredding and recycling services for your office. And, think about using paper products that have been recycled when you stock up on paper for the printer.

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