Reducing the use of paper in your office can save money for your business in many ways.
When you use less paper you save on more than the cost of the paper itself, says Chris Stanley, founder and CEO of Go On Green Eco-Consulting in Calgary. You also save money by having to buy less toner for your printer and with lower recycling fees.
Stanley recommends these five tips to reduce paper use in your office:
1. Take small steps
If you try to do everything at once, Stanley says, you are not likely to succeed. Break the process into small steps to make it easier for you and your team to implement the changes.
Start by focusing on a few areas of paper use, he says. For example, look at how the paper is coming into the office and how you can make reductions there. Could documents be sent to you electronically rather than by mail?
Next, look at how the office uses paper for inquiries or research. Do you have to print off a report or could you send it by email?
Third, consider how paper is leaving the office, such as by mail, fax or recycling. Again, ask yourself whether documents could be sent or stored electronically.
As well, when coming up with a plan for reducing paper, he says, ask your employees if they have any suggestions. Chances are one of your team members already has a few ideas.
2. Double up
Before you click on “print,” make sure your printer is set for double-sided printing.
Everybody knows they should be printing on both sides of the page, Stanley says, but nobody does it. Make double-sided printing the default setting on office printers so nobody forgets.
The majority of documents can be printed on both sides of the page, he says. Be aware, however, of documents that still need to be single-sided for legal and compliance reasons.
3. Keep emails digital
“There are still people out there who like to keep a paper copy of their emails,” says Stanley. “There’s no need for that.”
Instead, use archiving systems that are available with messaging systems, such as Microsoft Outlook.
4. Forget about faxing
“Fax machines have gone the way of the Dodo bird,” Stanley says.
Printers now have the ability to scan documents so they can be converted to PDF format on a computer and sent to a client or colleague by email.
5. Store documents electronically
Instead of printing and filing hard copies, use electronic documents.
Optical character recognition software (OCR) allows you to scan a document and then turn it into a working document on your computer, says Stanley. You can then delete or add text to the document.
The software is available from numerous providers, including Microsoft.