Paperless Office – Save Paper At Work
Have you ever wondered how to save paper at the office? Then you are exactly here. Our paper consumption is incredibly high, especially at work. Therefore, the time has come for something to change. Now I will show you how you can switch to a paperless office, what are the benefits and pitfalls, and how you can digitise your office in the lifestyle sense without waste. Here is a brief index of the article:
- Advantages
- Obstacles
- Saving paper in the office
- Digitising the office
- Closing word
ADVANTAGES OF THE OFFICE WITHOUT PAPER
Not only our plastic consumption (see statistics of plastic waste) is a problem for the environment. For the 500 conventional sheets of A4 paper, 7.5 kilos of wood are required. Plus 130 litres of water and 10.5 kilowatt-hours of energy. Paper consumption in the office accounts for a large part of this. A paperless office is good for the environment. Another advantage of saving paper in the office is cost savings. Even if the paper looks pretty cheap at first glance, it’s still a huge hassle in the long run. In addition to paper, there are also the costs of printer cartridges, which run out faster than you might think. Bottom line: saving paper is eco-friendly and good for your wallet.
OBSTACLES TO SAVING PAPER IN THE OFFICE
In addition to the many advantages of the paperless office, there are also some obstacles. Many employees still have little IT skills. The solution for this would be training courses that specifically convey the necessary IT skills. However, this is generally associated with high costs that many employers do not want to pay. Another point is the lack of the necessary devices, which are required for the electronic signature, for example.
NO PAPER IS IT POSSIBLE FOR EACH OFFICE?
A completely paperless office is difficult to implement. On the other hand, it is very easy to reduce paper consumption. Of course, it also depends on the job you have. It will be easier for a startup employee to make their office paperless than for a doctor. However, each of us can save a little paper.
SAVING PAPER IN THE OFFICE
Here are some tips on how to save paper in the office.
1. WEIGHING AND STORING PAPER IN THE OFFICE
Do you need to print an email? Do I have to print the entire report, or are a few pages sufficient? Reflective optics save a lot of paper. Before printing something, ask yourself if it is really necessary or if a digital copy is sufficient.
2. STORE PRINTS AND PAPER ON BOTH SIDES
Great advice that is often underestimated. Finally, by printing on both sides, you can cut your paper consumption in half. Many companies and clients also appreciate thinking about the environment. And at least for your use, paper printed on both sides shouldn’t be a problem. It is best to set the standard settings for double-sided printing on the computer.
3. CHOOSE SMALLER FONTS AND SAVE PAPER IN THE OFFICE
Here’s a simple tip that isn’t used too often: Choosing a smaller font only takes a few seconds and can save a lot of paper and printer ink.
4. USE GRAPH-FREE PRINTING AND SAVE PAPER
Photos and other graphics are not necessary for most prints. By dispensing with graphics and increasing the relevance of the text, the document retains its expressiveness, but a lot of resources can be saved.
5. INTRODUCING PAPER-SAVING INTO THE OFFICE
Many workers have not used so much paper on purpose that they are simply unaware of the magnitude of the problem. A month of paper savings draws attention to the paper problem. Hasn’t there been a month like this in your company? Then suggest it! Alternatively, a Paper Saver Day or Paper Saver Week also works.
6. USE RECYCLED PAPER AND SAVE RESOURCES
If you have to use paper, why not buy recycled paper instead of traditional paper? The recycling cycle allows you to reuse paper and conserve resources. Recycled paper is usually quite cheap for this.
SAVING PAPER IN THE OFFICE THROUGH SCANNING
The future has been announced since the dawn of the computer: a paperless office should no longer be a problem in no time. Today, several decades later, the opposite occurs. Although we are in the middle of the digital age, we use much more paper than before. And the consumption of paper is increasing more and more. Digitising your own office is a great way to cut down on paper consumption. A digitised office also ensures more significant order and faster location of documents.
- THE FIRST STEPS
Sure, for a digital and paperless office, you first need the necessary equipment. A reasonably new computer model, a smartphone, and a good scanner are the “must-haves” of the digitised office. The first step then is to digitise the “paperwork”. For this, you need a good scanner that can digitise the documents. PDFs are a good file format. Admit it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.
- STORING FILES ONLINE
After you have scanned all your documents, it is time to find a new location. You can also save files to your computer, but a second backup is not a bad idea. Documents and other files can be easily saved to an internal cloud. Alternatively, you can use an external hard drive.
- EMAILS INSTEAD OF WRITING LETTERS
Writing emails instead of letters has many advantages. You save not only paper but also a lot of money and time. These days email is usually so common.
- DIGITALIZE ACCOUNTING
A lot of paper is used in accounting. If you write a lot of invoices, you should also think about digitising your accounting. There are many good programs and software on the market these days that you can use to do just that. Many freelancers write their invoices in one form or another with software or a writing program on the computer. So the next step is to let everything else run digitally too. With that in mind, you can even work with a clearinghouse if necessary. You will receive your invoice on your online portal and submit it on your behalf.
- USE A DIGITAL CALENDAR
How often do you talk on the phone and take notes on a piece of paper? You save a lot of paper with a digital calendar. Digital calendars can be found everywhere these days. You can use the previously saved calendar on your PC or smartphone or use a specific application or software. By activating notifications, you will be informed about current appointments in due time. Practical, isn’t it?
- ONLINE BANKING
Today, almost all banks offer online banking. Online banking saves you thousands of bank statement folders flitting around the office or at home. Whether at home, in the office, or on the go, online banking ensures that you can bank anywhere.
- USING PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
There are tons of applications to help you get started with the paperless office. With Evernote, for example, you can save everything that comes with documents and papers. The files are stored in a cloud. You can access these files from any device you use. There is also Google Drive, PDF Office, Sign Easy, and many other handy applications. With the management application for paperless payments, there will soon also be an application system that can make receipts at the supermarket checkout superfluous.
OFFICE OUT OF PAPER AT THE START, NO PROBLEM!
Saving paper in the office is easy if you know what you are doing. Saving paper is no longer a problem when digitizing your own office. I hope these tips have been useful to you. I am sure that in the future, we will learn to make better use of environmental resources.
