Now, at this very moment, thousands of papers are being produced in every single country on earth; hurting the environment with massive amounts of energy, water, air pollution, and waste. Though the effects are consistent, you can still make a difference. We can still make a difference.
We all know that, pollution has been affecting our lives, especially our health. Therefore this issue is also something that needs immediate attention. This issue is something that we shouldn’t just ignore. While papers are essential for our daily lives, we can’t deny the fact that it contributes to the long-term effects of environmental damages. Aside from the decreasing trees, paper production takes 10 liters of water for a single A4 sheet. Pulp and paper mills are the main culprits for air, land, and water pollution–as it is one of the most industries that consume energy.
And now that the whole world is experiencing the pandemic, we have seen some kind of hope that we can eventually go paperless and save the environment.
As remote work continues to arise amidst the pandemic, paper usage has also decreased. Printing of papers become stagnant as companies now shift to digitalize documents. Though pandemic had caused us a lot of trouble since it arises, I must say that there are still good things that happened because of this. Since less companies are using paper documents now, it also means that the paper consumption will be lessen as well as the number of trees that are being cut for paper usage.
But even though online files are getting more popular now than ever, we can still expect that using papers will still be projected to continue as things go back to “normal” since some people still prefer using papers rather than using online files. So to encourage everyone in saving costs and helping the environment, here some effective ways to promote an earth-friendly culture in your office:
Consider using recycled paper
Since using papers is inevitable, it won’t hurt to consider recycled papers as an alternative. Every single recycled paper can save over 17 trees, a reasonable amount of landfill space, and a thousand liters of oil and water. Recycled papers are also versatile–they can be turned into egg carton boxes, paper towels, gift boxes, and more.
Paper recycling is also reported to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which affect most people’s health.
Use whiteboards instead of printable brochures
Meetings and presentations usually mean distributing colorful, printed brochures–but this can be lessened. Instead of printing tons of papers during presentations, it’s better to use erasable boards and online power points to get rid of unnecessary printing. Best part? You can use these materials again next time around! In that way, you can save time and even money.
Go completely digital with online software apps
Thanks to the innovative technology, we can now turn our old school paper documents into digitalized files. While some still prefer papers for a physical copy, it’s highly recommended to take every single transaction that involves papers online. This can include the signing of documents, sending survey forms, conducting registrations, and more.
Today, we now have sorts of online document tools like PlatoForms. It is an online PDF software, provides a wide array of features for companies and organizations. You can take a step to go digital by using this app to make your PDFs fillable online, create fillable forms for registrations and surveys, or send documents online for approval and signatures.
During the process of creating and using online PDF forms, there will be no printing and paper costs. All you need to do is share links and invite people to put information on the said online PDF form or document. Most people use the online PDF form as application forms, sales forms, enrollment forms, and the likes.
Not only it helps in saving the environment, it also helps by making the business processes quicker and easier.
Educate and spread the word
Going paperless is impossible in a blink of an eye–proper training must be done to make it right. Training your employees about the proper instructions, benefits, and objectives of going paperless is needed to implement a highly efficient paperless organization. Since the process also involves using high-tech apps and software, it’s also best to train your employees on how to use them.
Aside from that, you can also have seminars on how your organization can help achieve a paperless environment plus create some social media content about this issue topic and share it with other businesses and friends.
Going paperless may sound daunting at first, but taking steps to go digital will benefit not just your company, but also the environment. And that means that it will help you and your loved ones too.
A step, no matter how small, always matters–and can lead to big positive results in the future. May we all begin our journey to a safer, paperless process and environment.