The "green" benefits of Zetadocs

Why companies need to do more to be environmentally friendly

The paperless office was being predicted as long ago as the 1970’s, but the reality is that the average UK office worker still uses 10,000 sheets of paper every year.

Even more striking is the fact that 6,800 of those sheets are regarded as being ‘wasted’ on tasks such as unnecessarily printing copies of invoices or statement.

Of course, everyone has their own preferences or requirements for record keeping and filing – but it would appear that some people are simply attached to the idea of paper documents.

We’ve written before in our articles about going paperless, that solutions like Zetadocs can help in the move away from paper based solutions. With the right tech partner, it can be a simple and cost-effective process.

Cutting the environmental impact of paper use

Putting aside the organisational and financial arguments for ditching paperless, an increasingly persuasive argument is the environmental one.

Examples such as David Attenborough’s Blue Planet shocked us into the realisation of the harm done by single use plastics because it appeals to people’s emotions.

So it would seem that when backed up by solid fact, the environmental case for reducing consumption of plastics can change opinion and alter behaviour.

We think that the same can be achieved by pointing out the environmental impact of the continued use of paper.

Paper use: the environmental facts

During the course of a year, a single acre of trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people, at the same time as soaking up the carbon dioxide produced by an average car being driven 26,000 miles.

Other facts to think about next time you send a batch of printed invoices, account statements or purchase orders include:

• 93% of paper production in the world is derived from trees and 40% of all the timber commercially cut down globally is used for the production of paper
• It takes up to 10 litres of water to produce a single A4 sheet of paper
• Disposing of paper doesn’t solve the problem. When it rots it emits methane, a greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, and when it is burned or composted it gives off carbon dioxide, another greenhouse gas

Carbon dioxide isn’t only a problem when a piece of paper is disposed of.

The production and shipping of 500 sheets of paper produces approximately 2 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

So whichever angle we approach it from - whether forest cutting, energy use in production and shipping or disposal - paper usage places an unsustainable burden on the environment and creates a huge carbon footprint.

How Zetadocs helps ease the carbon burden

By using Zetadocs, you can significantly reduce the carbon footprint generated by your organisation.

Documents such as invoices, purchase orders, statements and payment related documents can be sent via email rather than physically printed and posted.

Important records such as transaction statements can also be stored and archived electronically, a double savings bonus on both paper costs and the valuable office space needed for physical archiving. At the same time, vital documents are easier and faster to retrieve thus freeing up staff time for more important tasks than filing.

Plus by printing fewer physical documents, you’ll also be saving further resources used in manufacturing printers and inks, and the power to run them.

A winning solution all round

Saving on paper use is a win all round. Start using Zetadocs, cut your reliance on physical documents and boost your corporate social responsibility profile with a measurable commitment to environmentally friendly policies.