Can your company go paperless?

EarthWhile going 100% paperless may not be realistic yet, we at Dynamic Language do our best to go in that direction every day. In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d share some of the ways that we’ve found to be less wasteful at work:

Reduce paper by making use of Track Changes and Comments whenever possible. If you often print out documents to write notes in the margins, consider instead using the advanced editing/reviewing features of Microsoft Word, Google Docs and Adobe Acrobat.

Also, instead of printing copies of your presentation materials, make an electronic version available to attendees both before and after your presentation. And make use of projectors whenever possible!

If you must print, reuse paper until it is no longer usable. I have a stack of paper next to my printer that has been printed on one side only. When I need to print documents for in-house use, I grab from that stack, printing half as much paper as I otherwise would.

Make use of computer upgrades to revamp your way of working. For our line of work, where we compare content side-by-side on a constant basis, we’ve found that having either one huge monitor, or a dual-monitor setup has greatly eliminated our need to print documents. Supporting this hardware can require powerful computers and video processors, but the result is great for conservation, and productivity!

Drink from a mug or a reusable bottle if your job entails being at or around a desk for eight hours a day. The same concept can also be applied to your daily caffeine fix: If you stop at a coffee shop every morning, skip the paper cup (and sleeve) and bring your own tumbler for the barista to fill. You’ll usually save money on each purchase, too! Starbucks reduces your bill by $.10 if you bring your personal cup.

What are ways you reduce waste in your office or home office?