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Despite your forest of filing cabinets, are you able to find that report you need for your meeting in 5 minutes? Take steps to reduce your consumption of paper and increase efficiency at work to save time, money, and resources. And it's "3 E-asy." |
The 3 E’s: Economical, Environmental, Efficient
Are you a paper pusher? The typical workplace is hooked on the stuff, with some shocking statistics.- The average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year.
- The United States alone, which has less than 5% of the world's population, consumes 30% of the world's paper.
- Over 40% of wood pulp goes toward the production of paper.
- Printing and writing paper equals about one-half of U.S. paper production.
- The costs of using paper in the office can run 13 to 31 times the cost of purchasing the paper in the first place!
Economical: Saving paper saves money
You're probably thinking, "What's the big deal? My office doesn't spend much on paper." But what most people don't realize is that the cost of buying paper is just the tip of the paper iceberg. For each sheet of paper used, a company incurs not only purchasing costs, but also storage, copying, printing, postage, disposal, and recycling—and it adds up. A recent Minnesota study estimates that associated paper costs could be as much as 31 times the purchasing costs (not including labor). So, that ream of paper that you paid $5 for really could cost up to $155!- Citigroup, a large financial services company, determined that if each employee used double-sided copying to conserve just one sheet of paper each week, the firm would save $700,000 each year.
- Bank of America cut its paper consumption by 25% in two years by increasing the use of on-line forms and reports, e-mail, double-sided copying, and lighter-weight paper.
Environmental: Saving paper reduces our impact
Paper is an office necessity for some essential tasks, but it has an environmental cost. Creating paper from trees requires a lot of natural resources: trees, water, and energy.- It takes more than 1½ cups of water to make one sheet of paper. (Picture a typical soda can.)
- Over 40% of wood pulp goes toward the production of paper.
- Reducing paper use reduces greenhouse gases: 40 reams of paper is like 1.5 acres of pine forest absorbing carbon for a year.
- Even with recycling efforts, paper makes up over 25% of Minnesota's garbage—we're throwing away a lot of resources!
Efficient: Saving paper increases efficiency
Paperwork! It brings to mind filling out unnecessarily complicated forms. Electronic forms can now make that job easier and more efficient. Businesses that have converted to electronic forms and filing systems have found that it takes less time to both find and process information. This doesn't mean that electronic forms should replace all paper. In some instances, paper will be the best tool, but most businesses find that reducing their paper use increases their efficiency. Whenever we have fewer sheets of paper in our homes and offices, we spend less time looking for those that are misplaced or lost.- Success story: When Wilderness Inquiry moved its registration forms online, they found boosts in productivity and customer satisfaction.
Tips for reducing office paper waste
Use both sides
Use the front and back of a piece of paper and cut your paper use and costs in half.- Set computer defaults to print double-sided.
- Make double-sided copies when possible.
- Give it a second chance: Use paper printed on only one side in your fax machine, for draft copies or internal documents, or as scratch paper.
Think before you print or copy
Sometimes it is necessary for documents to be printed. Print responsibly.- Preview documents before printing. Use the print preview to spot formatting errors and blank pages before you print. Proofread first, and use the spell/grammar tool to help avoid errors that can cause documents to be reprinted.
Print only the pages you need. If only a few pages of the document are needed, print only those pages instead of the whole report. Most software programs provide this option under the print function. - Promote a "think before you copy" attitude. Consider sharing some documents with co-workers. Print only the number of copies needed for the meeting, don't make extras.
Go electronic
- Route memos and newsletters that employees should see, but do not need to keep. That way newsletters and other documents can be shared rather than copied.
- Use revision features in word processing software. You can edit documents on screen instead of printing out drafts and making hand-written comments.
- Send information electronically. Use e-mails instead of fax or mailed letters when possible. It's faster.
- Fit more words onto each page (e.g., smaller font, narrower margins). Simply changing the default margins from 1.25" to 1" can reduce the amount of paper you use by up to 8%. Use a space-efficient font like Times New Roman.
- Create an electronic filing system for quick, easy retrieval.
Keep forms and lists up-to-date
- Reduce unwanted mail. Much of the marketing mail that your office receives is discarded immediately, and you foot the bill for recycling or disposal, not to mention the time it takes to sort and deliver mail. Cut down on the amount of unwanted mail by keeping your employees' names off of mail lists to begin with. (Reduce the Hail of Unwanted Mail)
- Eliminate unnecessary forms. Sometimes documents become obsolete and are no longer needed. If forms are still needed consider making them electronic.
Close the loop on recycling
- Recycle office paper. If your office doesn't recycle yet, start a recycling office paper program. It can save your organization money. Your county solid waste office can help.
- Buy recycled-content paper, preferably made from paper pulp recycled without the use of chlorine.
Be nice to your copier...
and your copier will be nice to you. Keep copiers and printers in good repair and make it policy to only buy copiers and printers that make reliable double-sided copies. Let your copier maintenance person know when a copier is performing poorly (toner is low, jams frequently, etc.). Regular copier maintenance is important, especially if the toner is low. Copiers are often used until all the toner is gone and that wears down machines. A copier that works well is less likely to jam and this helps save paper!
Compound savings
Think about that 10-page, single-sided report you're dropping in the mail. You need an extra stamp, don't you? Take that same report and send it double-sided. Now you've cut your paper cost in half, and you don't need to pay the extra postage.The Office Paper Reduction Toolkit
 | We've assembled a set of tools for Minnesota companies and organizations to use in creating and implementing a campaign to reduce office paper use in your organzation. You will find resources that you can adapt to target waste and educate staff members.
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Movie: The E’s of Office Paper ReductionForget the latest blockbuster on the big screen. The talk around the copier will be all about duplexing after you show this short, light-hearted video at your next staff meeting. It gives a fun look at the easiest ways to big reductions in office paper use – and paper-related costs.Now, who got the popcorn? | Play the introduction (50 sec.) |
Factsheet and posters
Fact sheet: Office Paper Reduction
Tips to share through office e-mail
Animated Flash/Shockwave files to use in your office. Not too big to email, but easy to link to on reduce.org, too. Two styles: "Green Screen" is more corporate, while the "Animation" set is a little more fun.
Require Macromedia Flash Player.To play file: Click the
icon.To save file: Right-click and choose 'Save Link/Target As' to save to your computer or network.
| Green Screen | Animation | |
| | Growth in paper use |
| | Cost of paper |
| | Duplex printing: Set your computer default to duplex print |
| | Think before you print |
| | Double-sided copying |
| | Test before copying big jobs |
| | Don't print emails: Save electronically |
| | Don't print web sites unnecessarily |
| | Page formatting and font selection |
| | Reduce business junk mail |
