Tips and Tools

Bank of America, the largest bank in the USA, reduced its paper consumption dramatically through online reports and forms, e-mail, double-sided copying and lighter-weight papers. The total tonnage of paper used for internal operations decreased 32% between 2000 and 2004 (by over a billion sheets of paper).

Today’s information and communication technologies provide many opportunities for businesses to function with far less paper. Electronic mail, intranets, internet and document scanners can radically reduce paper use, while also saving time and money. Estimates show that a 10-30% reduction in paper usage is possible with appropriate use of available technology.

Use your computer to eliminate paper

• Use electronic means to communicate with customers.
• Use e-mail instead of memos and faxes for announcing meetings and for targeted communications like press releases. Use group e-mail lists to "broadcast" important messages efficiently and inexpensively.
• Use electronic communications for directories, forms, bulletins, manuals, reports, and storage when possible (don't print them unless absolutely necessary).
• Put frequently requested information on a website.
• Store documents in electronic archives using data compression software. This saves on filing cabinets and floor space.
• Employ office intranet solutions that allow open or password-protected access to important documents, presentations, or databases
• Use electronic data interchange (EDI) technologies, like web-based secure credit card transfers and order forms, to reduce the need for cumbersome paper invoices, transaction records and confirmation letters.
• For editing and reviewing documents, transfer documents on disk or by e-mail rather than sending a printed copy. Use revision features in word processing software. Take advantage of on-screen editing features when making changes to draft documents, then send the new draft electronically.

Some special paper saving features in popular software

• Microsoft Excel has a "Fit to Page" feature, which automatically re-scales output to print evenly on one or several pages.
• Use Excel’s the "Print Preview" feature to make sure the document prints on just one page. You may also want to change the paper orientation (portrait vs. landscape) for large spreadsheets to get more columns on a page.
• In PowerPoint, print "Handouts" not "Slides". Text in PowerPoint is generally large, so if you print using the "Slides" option, it will print one slide per page. If you need to make overheads, that is the way to go, but otherwise, the best and fastest way is to print "Handouts".

Use better information systems

Many paper related costs are closely related to the organisation of information in an office. Great savings are possible when a company thinks through its information management. For example, companies can save money by:

• centralising files, reducing distribution lists and consolidating forms;
• routing a single copy of a memo or newsletter around the office;
• asking originators of regular documents to send fewer copies;
• providing half-size sheets for short memos and letters;
• using two-way envelopes and printing directly on envelopes rather than using labels.