Here are some paper use reduction strategies to consider for your organization:
• Analyze your largest documents, such as publications and major mailings to patients. Slash paper volume by
using a smaller font size, a space efficient font, smaller margins, less white space, reduced image sizes, and both
sides of the page. Consider lighter weight paper. Also, you can eliminate paper use altogether by posting these
documents on-line, sending them on disk, or sending them as an email attachment.
• Pare down your distribution lists. Organizations that keep up-to-date lists of their patients, customers,
suppliers, and staff realize great savings on paper, postage, and staff time. The National Change of Address
program of the U. S. Postal Service helps organizations maintain current addresses for customers.
• Send internal reports electronically or on disk. For reports that must be on paper, use two-up (two pages
printed on one side) and two-sided printing.
• Conduct business with customers and suppliers on-line, using the Internet or a corporate extranet. Use
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technology for paperless business transactions.
• Use your corporate intranet and shared drives to the greatest extent possible. Place data bases, manuals,
meeting minutes, internal phone books, newsletters and other common documents there, so staff can access
them electronically. Train staff to use your organization’s intranet and shared drives as the preferred means of
document storage and communication, so your organization can retrieve documents more easily, save time, and
reduce costs. Teach staff to use password protection for confidential documents.
• Use data compression software for storing large quantities of data electronically, rather than on paper. Reset
software before distributing it to staff. Many software packages, like Microsoft Word and Excel, are not designed
to use paper efficiently. You can make them more efficient by reducing the font and margins and eliminating
banner pages. Remember to reset your email software, too.
• Purchase printers and copiers capable of printing on both sides. Establish two-sided printing as the default.
Purchase or lease digital copiers rather than analog copiers, because they make two-sided copies more reliably.
To minimize paper jams, train staff to keep paper in its wrapper until ready for use and to load paper into the
machines correctly.
• Educate staff about the importance of paper use reduction. Encourage them to store files electronically rather
than in hard copy, use both sides of the page, print email messages only when necessary, make the least number
of hard copies necessary, route documents rather than distribute copies, post documents in central locations,
proof documents on the computer, and use scrap paper whenever possible. Explain the business reasons and the
benefits to society of using less paper.
• Put forms on-line. There are many software options available to do this but you can also use MS Word or Adobe
PDF.
• Stop ordering hard copy version of yellow pages. Use Verizon's CD Rom version, instead.
• Reduce your junk mail. Many companies spend inordinate time sorting and delivering junk mail, and it adds to
their waste disposal costs.