How Much Paper Do You Use At Work?

Even with digitization, most medium-sized businesses use approximately 10,000 pieces of paper per year. That’s half of the Oxford English Dictionary. Or almost 3 times the number of pages in all 7 Harry Potter books. Nearly 10 times the number of pages in the King James Bible.  

With printer mishaps, billing reports, handouts, junk mail, and more, the average American office worker handles a piece of paper once every twelve-to-fifteen minutes at work. And of that, nearly half of those pieces of paper end up in the garbage.

So how do we make it better?

How to Curb Waste 

There are many ways to stop unnecessary waste. The first thing we can do to stop using so much paper is by recycling. And we’re not just talking about using the recycling receptacle in your office. Do you print on one side or both sides? Do you use scrap paper? Can you print on a smaller scale so you can fit two of the same on one page? You can still use paper, just not as much! You can also switch to an eco-friendly paper from CMF to ensure you are doing your part to help the environment. 

Another way is by using white boards. Rather than using paper to brainstorm, you could use white boards or chalkboards to encourage collaboration in your office. These are both more environmentally and budget friendly.  

Instead of printing out that packet for your morning meeting, how about emailing a downloadable and editable file? This way, your team can all be on the same page without using paper. 

How This Will Save You Money 

Curbing your paper waste will save you money. The average company spends 3% of its revenue on paper; this includes filing, printing, and storing all kinds of documents. If your company revenue is $5 million, you are spending approximately $150,000 per year on paper. Think of how many more things you could do with that money. New technologies, new employees, new furniture, etc. Once you start to realize how much you can save, your habits will change, and you will see just how little you needed all that paper; not to mention you’ll save money on sensitive document shredding!  

How It Will Save the Environment 

More than 4 billion trees are cut down per year for paper and almost 16% of the solid waste in most landfills is paper or mixed-paper products. Curbing your use of office supplies, paper, and paper products will have a long-lasting impact on the environment. Not to mention the fact that nearly half of the paper we touch per day will end up in the garbage, not the recycling. Save the trees and our skies by using less paper or an eco-friendly paper option.