environmental benefits of going paperless

#Environmental benefits of going paperless how to#

Set a goal for when each employee or department should have their files organized and ready to enter your chosen document management software.This will help weed out unneeded space in cloud storage and help keep you more up-to-date in the process. Determine an expiration date for all documents anything older than the decided date (think: auditing) can be found and shredded.Divide the heavy lifting between employees or departments and divvy up documents into categories for the organization.Create a unified organization system for your documents by name, year, department, etc.If your team cannot organize digital files, you might find yourself inheriting a paper system's stress. Getting organized is a key component of your plan to going paperless. Now that key leaders are taking the initiative, and you have strong backing from your employees, the tougher side of going paperless begins - organization. They just have to see that going paperless will make their jobs easier. Specifically, they'll be able to view, read, and share documents and files from their computer without printing more paper. Demonstrate the time and energy they'll save in a paperless office. Show them the ways going paperless could benefit them. No matter how strong the paperless initiative may seem, your company won't complete the transition unless employees are on board. If your employees see you leading the way, they will be more likely to follow suit, and you will drive home the importance of what going paperless really means. Set goals for yourself and take ownership of those goals. If you have your own filing cabinet overflowing with documents, consider uploading them to cloud-based software. No matter what level you're at, you can set goals for your company as a whole that encourages an easy transition to an electronic document management system.Īs a business leader, the important part about going paperless is that you lead by example. Any individual can step up and lead the way to become a more efficient office.Īpproached the right way, your team will be grateful for the environmental benefits and the overall working experience. Essentially, many businesses are ready and willing to go paperless, but nobody is leading the way or providing the tools needed to start.

One of the reasons some companies don't go paperless is that there's no one on the team pushing for a change.

#Environmental benefits of going paperless how to#

It's a win-win, so what steps can you take to go paper free? How to reduce paper in your workplace 1. Taking the leap to reduce paper and have a more eco-friendly lifestyle will greatly impact the number of trees destroyed every year-while making your life feel less cluttered. of junk mail per year-and of that, nearly 50% of that mail is never even opened? but how much of an impact? Did you know the average American receives 41 lbs. It might be a no-brainer that going paperless has a positive environmental impact. Studies show clutter causes stress and anxiety and decreases productivity and creativity. Even if you aren't overwhelmed with tons of paper, having a near-paperless environment can help reduce clutter. Going paperless benefits the environment, saves money, and reduces clutter in your home and office. What are the benefits of going paperless?

Following these steps can help you down your path to becoming a paperless company. Going paperless can reduce information overload but also provide other environmental benefits. However, it's not impossible, and, more importantly, it's worth it. Going paperless can seem daunting because you'll have to figure out what to do with everything from postal mail to receipts. Take steps to decrease your paper usage, and you will slowly reduce your reliance on paper and cut out the paper clutter at home. Going paperless doesn't need to be an “all-or-nothing' plan.