How to Be More Sustainable and Reduce the Amount of Paper You Use at Work

Julie Starr • May 23, 2022



Paper waste is one of the most preventable operation costs that your company will experience. We now live in an era of cloud storage and communication tends to be mobile-first too. This means that there is no excuse for you to be using paper as much as you do because it is now easier than ever to share and even store data without needing it at all. Employees tend to have a real tendency for taking printing equipment for granted, and if you want your business to be more sustainable and eco-friendly, then it is vital that you try and target this as soon as possible.

Give your Team Dual Monitors

You may feel that giving your team a dual monitor is way more expensive when compared to letting them print out details on paper, but you are missing an important point. If you have a dual-monitor setup, then you may find that your team won’t need to print out documents as often, and this can make the manual transfer of data way simpler when compared to paper. Studies have shown that dual monitors also help to increase productivity as well as user satisfaction, which is huge, to say the least.

Duplex Printing

If you print on each side of the paper, you can instantly cut down on the amount of paper you use by over 50%. If you have a duplex rule, then you can easily make sure that every employee follows this rule, and this can reduce your print costs. It’s not just printing costs that you have to worry about though. If you have a waiting room, then you may buy newspapers or magazines, but what you don’t realize is that by investing in things like this, you are also wasting paper. One way for you to work around this would be for you to invest in an entertainment system such as Loop.tv .

Print Policies

If you want to make sure that you are actively reducing the paper that you use in the workplace, you have to make sure that you communicate any expectations that you have clearly. If you have a print policy, then this will lay out the rules regarding printing, and it also helps your team to understand why you are trying to save paper. Tell your team which documents they should be printing and which ones they shouldn’t. You should also tell them what kind of printing is suited to a particular document. It may be that you only have color-printing for documents that are customer-focused and that you have black and white printing for everything else.

Empower your Employees

If reducing paper is a top priority for you, then you need to make sure that you are just not pushing it onto your employees. You have to try and make sure that you empower them so that your team regulates their use without you having to remind them constantly. You also need to make sure that your sustainability efforts are part of your culture, and that your team actively shares in the mission that you have. If you can do this, then you will soon find that it is easier for you to come out on top overall. 

Reducing Font Size

Another super-easy way for you to reduce the amount of paper that you use would be for you to try and squeeze more information onto each piece of paper that you use. If you can reduce the print margins that you have and if you can use a smaller font size, then this will make a huge difference to your paper consumption, and you may even find that it helps you to cut down on cost too.

Use Modern Printers

If you are using older print equipment, then this will really stop you from being able to implement a sustainable practice overall. If you are using older printers, then you may find that you are not able to be as efficient as you want to be when it comes to printer ink and that you are also not able to scan things into the cloud. This is the last thing that you need, but there are things that you can do to turn things around, such as by investing in a solid, modern printer. It’ll pay for itself in no time, which can save you a huge amount of money overall.

So why not see if you can implement some of these measures today to see how much you could save? It has never been easier for you to make a positive change.

Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024
Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024
Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.
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