Did you know that recycling 1 ton of paper would save 7,000 gallons of water and 3.3 cubic yards of landfill waste? (EPA facts) The small steps we take to decrease or eliminate the amount of paper waste in our homes and businesses can go a long way towards creating a more sustainable lifestyle. We’ve curated 5 tips to help the process of going paperless easier for you!
Junk Mail
Opting out of catalogs and junk mail can go along way to decrease the amount of paper waste you need to recycle. Two great options to explore are Catalogue Choice and DMAchoice.
Electronic Bills
Opt to receive your bills and statements electronically. Take the next step and start paying bills electronically. Check your account settings as most companies have a paperless opt-in.
Documents
Scan your most important documents and start to use a cloud storage system such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Request documents to be sent electronically so you can decrease printing and start signing digitally with apps like HelloSign or Docusign.
Reading
Switch your magazine subscriptions to digital versions rather than hard copies. E-readers can be a nice alternative to books and some libraries also offer the option to check out materials on your device.
Receipts
Whenever possible request to have the receipts emailed to you. If that isn’t an option, try using an app such as Expensify or Smart Receipts to capture, track, and organize the paper you do receive.
Start the switch to a paperless lifestyle with the small changes we’ve shared here. Together we can decrease paper waste and make a bigger impact on our environment. Tell us how you’re making the switch at #elynpaperless
Photo by Christin Hume