Even though there has been an exponential increase in the use of computers in business over the past two decades, a lot of companies still have a habit of printing every single document and email or fax received.

The volume of paper used in an average-sized office can easily be reduced by following a few tips and tricks. Some are really obvious but you would be amazed how easily people automatically hit the print button.

Email and the ability to send messages to remote locations across the world within seconds without printing a single page, has contributed to a massive reduction of paper usage. You can also send document as attachments without printing them and this is a fantastic saver if there numerous revisions to be made. Companies that are aiming to go ‘green’, and reduce the use of paper in the office, should start by using e-mail more effectively, and more importantly, printing only those e-mails that are very important.

For a near-paperless solution, you can store important emails in the mailbox itself, and these can be organized in folders, making it easier to manage and retrieve emails. Digital documents are also easier to store and you therefore reduce office space requirements to file the printed documents. This approach allows you to save a lot on paper, consumables, time, and money; however do make sure you have a backup system in place to avoid losing any e-mails and other important data. In certain countries, companies are bound by law to keep a record of all company emails and correspondence for a number of years. Companies that do not have a backup or an email archiving system in place could face severe fines in the events that a document or email is required for audit or forensic purposes.

Other small tips:

• Email signatures can be used to encourage a ‘green’ approach. At the bottom of your email signature you can include a small note to the recipients of your email telling them to consider the environment before printing the email. This would make the person think twice before printing the document.
  
  
• When you cannot do otherwise, and you have to print an email, try using a small er font to save on ink and the number of pages. You should even consider printing a section of, rather than the whole email.
  
  
• Use the back side of the printed emails to print other emails/documents or re-use them as rough paper.

A paperless office cannot be achieved overnight! You need to plan those changes with the help of people who are knowledgeable on the subject, whilst making use of the best software available to help you perform these tasks.

Feel free do drop me a message if you have any other tips on how to reduce the usage of paper related to e-mail.