Go Paperless
Did you know that paper production is a major source of air and water pollution? It also threatens forests all around the world. Luckily, in our digitized world, it’s easier than ever to use less paper. Going paperless can reduce harmful pollution and carbon emissions, and preserve forests and their very important work - providing essential habitats and making oxygen for us to breathe!
Your Impact
Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
In addition, most paper products are bleached to make them white. This creates harmful pollution that ends up in our air and water. And even if we recycle paper, there are still some serious impacts. Before it gets to your home or office, recycled paper is also often bleached and has to be processed and transported - all of which uses energy and produces harmful chemicals and waste.
The good news - there are easy steps you can take to reduce your paper usage and make your life better too! Getting rid of unwanted junk mail and going virtual can reduce clutter in your house, and make time-consuming chores like paying the bills more efficient. Let’s get started!
1Ditch junk mail and paper towels
Get rid of junk mail. Did you know it’s incredibly easy to stop receiving all that junk mail? Just go to https://www.dmachoice.org/ and sign up! It costs $4, but it’ll stop any unsolicited mail from coming to your address for the next 10 years. You can also get help managing your catalog subscriptions for free with Catalog Choice. Junk mail is a huge waste - in 2017, 9 million catalogs were mailed to Americans’ homes! Ditching junk mail can make a big difference.
Ditch paper towels and napkins. Cloth towels and napkins are an easy, money saving alternative to all that paper! Cloth towels and napkins are easy to keep clean - just throw them in the laundry. And you don’t even have to buy cloth rags - instead, cut up your old t-shirts and give them a new life in the kitchen! Skip that expensive paper towel purchase and watch the savings add up.
2Go virtual
Pay your bills online. Most companies now make it easy to get your statements and bills online only. Worried about not having a paper trail? There are many secure backup options for your files, both on your computer and online. Making payments online can also reduce the chances that you’ll miss a deadline with email reminders and notifications.
Sign documents and fill out forms online. With the free version of Adobe Reader, you can fill out and send back PDF forms without ever having to print them. If you need an official signature on the document, online tools like Docusign allow you to securely upload, send and sign documents electronically. These tools save time, hassle and reduce your impact all at the same time!
Think before you print. Many of us are in the habit of printing more documents than we really need to. Next time you’re reading an article or you find a great recipe online, consider whether you really need to print it. You can easily save it as a PDF on your computer. If you really need to print, consider printing only the pages you really need and printing double-sided. Also, if you need paper to take notes, consider using scrap paper.
3Buy recycled & low impact
Buy Recycled. Shop smart and buy recycled paper! If you need to buy paper, choosing recycled printing and home paper products makes a huge impact: protecting forests and reducing pollution and carbon emissions.
Office paper: Most office supply stores offer 100% recycled printer paper and notebooks that are just as high quality as non-recycled options. Recycled paper costs a bit more, but you can offset that by printing less!
Home paper products: The quality of recycled home paper products has improved! Choosing recycled paper products including toilet paper and tissues has a big impact. Look for brands that are recycled and chlorine free. Top sustainable toilet paper brands include Whole Foods 365, Seventh Generation, Earth First, Trader Joe’s Bath Tissue and Green Forest.
Recycle. When you’re done, always recycle your paper! Find out more tips in our Recycling Action.