Talk to your workers about these simple and painless ways to reduce paper in your office.
Start at Your Desk …
- Think before printing e-mails—you don’t need to print all your e-mails; you can simply read them on the screen, then delete them.
- If something is important, save that document electronically.
- Post employee notices in a central location or on your company intranet.
- Recycle an old box by making it your scrap paper bin. That helps to give a sheet of paper a second chance.
- As with e-mails, review and proofread your documents on screen.
- And always reuse large envelopes, files folders, and boxes.
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At the Copier
- Copy only when necessary.
- Reduce the size of the document to be copied, so you can fit more on each page.
- Copy on both sides of the paper.
- If possible, use scrap paper to print on.
Bonus! These simple steps will save ink as well as paper.
At the Printer
- Use two-up and two-sided printing
- Print only what you need
- Use print range
- Make the point size smaller
- Adjust the margins
- Unless they are absolutely necessary, keep images and graphics off the printed page to save ink.
Check Your Settings. Some of these actions can be completed when you send a document to print, from the print set-up menu, and others must be done when creating the document. Check the instructions for the software and hardware you are using.
Yes, Even At Lunchtime
You can even reduce paper use in the facility cafeteria.
- Bring your lunch and snacks in reusable containers. This will save on paper and plastic bags.
- Have a reusable coffee mug, rather than the paper or Styrofoam available at coffee shops.
- And, don’t forget to use the recycling bins when you finish eating.
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Why Conserve?
The goal of conservation is sustainability. In today’s age of corporate responsibility, sustainability is the premier buzz word in the business world.
The most commonly recognized definition of sustainability in the business world was issued by the Brundtland Commission in their 1987 report, Our Common Future. It’s defined as “Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their own needs.”
What does this mean to you? Well, think about what you want the world to look like for your grandchildren and their grandchildren, and their grandchildren…. It’s that simple!