
Financial Costs
Inefficient paper use in the workplace has too high of a cost to be disregarded. Supplies such as toner and paper, as well as equipment maintenance, can quickly mount up. Perhaps more significant than these costs is the amount of time spent by employees adjusting printers and copiers, filing documents, and then trying to find them again—often only to throw them away. Some findings from productivity research studies:
- Inefficient use of printers, copiers, and fax machines can waste between 1 and 3 percent of company revenue annually.
- For every dollar spent on copying, companies incur another $6 in handling and distribution, and half of all documents printed are thrown away within 24 hours.
- An average of 17% of everything printed is considered waste.
Costs to the Environment
Using less paper can help your company save money while simultaneously addressing many environmental issues. 42% of all trees harvested for industrial use are used to make paper. Unfortunately, forest destruction is only half of the story. In most developed nations, the pulp and paper sector is also the greatest industrial user of water, the largest water polluter, and the third highest emitter of global warming pollutants.

