War on Paper
Make it your New Year���s Resolution to cut back on paper usage
KIWIS ARE OFTEN LAUDED for our ingenuity but when
it comes to paper cuts (the good kind), there is still a way to go.
As a country, we consume around 48,000 tonnes of paper every
year*. This figure needs to reduce if we want to keep our landscape
green and our economy out of the red. Most of us are aware of the
damage that paper wastage has on our natural environment but the
economic implications are often overlooked. Take for example, the
costs incurred by print jobs left uncollected at the printer which can
add up to 30% of all printing for many organizations**. The good
news is that more advanced options are becoming available for
workplaces wanting to embrace ways to reduce paper wastage. For
example, pull printing or ���FollowMe��� as it is often referred to, is a
system where users are required to physically identify themselves
at the printer (using a device like a swipe card) in order for the job
to be processed. This kind of technology claims to reduce costs for
organizations by up to 60%**.Another option that workplaces are
actively working towards is the paperless office. Decades ago when
the term was first coined this seemed like a farfetched ideal but now
with technology such as tablets, wireless networks and smartphones
readily at our fingertips it���s becoming more of a realistic alternative.
Businesses the world over have adopted techniques such as using
OCR (Optical character recognition) software to convert printed
documents into soft copies, replacing archive files with searchable
PDF documents and only printing documents that need to be
signed (even this is becoming possible to eliminate with the rise of
digital signature solutions).
Amanda Bidwell
*Source:www.mfe.govt.nz
**Source: http://www.followme.ringdale.com
If this all seems a bit daunting though, just
remember that change needs to start somewhere,
no matter how small the action. Here are some
simple tips that you can take along with your tan
as we kick start the new working year:
Go both ways. Set your office printer default to
the double-sided function.
Get on TV. Rather than printing individual copies
of a document for a meeting, go for rooms with
screens and present in PowerPoint only - a great
way to keep the focus on you also!
Become a two timer. Use A4 sheets that
have only been printed on one side to make A5
notebooks (great for those of us addicted to
lists). Fold the A4 sheets in half, cover and staple
together in the fold.
Start a culture club. Get a group together
and make it your goal to educate people in the
workplace about alternatives to paper. Run a
competition with an incentive for the staff member
who comes up with the best idea for using less
paper.
Use that gadget. According to Google���s Our
Mobile Planet report of May 2012, 44% of New
Zealanders have access to a smartphone. Before
you print documents for a meeting just remember
there is more to your handbag candy than angry
birds and Instagram.
Finish on a positive. Add a disclaimer to your
email signature asking people to think twice before
printing. Go to http://thinkbeforeprinting.org/
get-the-message.php for easy instructions on how
to do this.
Start 2013 as you mean to continue and give
yourself the goal of changing attitudes towards
paper usage in your workplace. Besides, saving the
world feels much better than giving up chocolate.
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