The old rule of paper was, “File, Don't Pile". However, with growing eco awareness, there is a clear environmental need for paperless offices. The paper industry is one of the world’s major polluting industries and one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gases with over 900 million trees cut done annually. The EPA reports that paper is the number-one material thrown away, comprising 40% of our waste stream. As a sustainability consultant working with small businesses, going paperless is often a sustainability concept that is easy to grasp and implement in small business. It is also rewarding because employees and management learn sustainable processes as well as see results.
A long term benefit is that incorporating sustainable business practices of going paperless re-orients thought processes and business approaches to view other areas of the business with a sustainable mindset. In addition, the sustainability concepts learned at work are often implemented at home expanding eco awareness beyond the workplace.
Becoming a paperless office can be part of a sustainability plan or be an independent environmental action taken to reduce the business' carbon footprint. For strategies and tips to becoming a paperless office, download our white paper here.
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