Paper? Seriously?

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• Paper? Seriously?

09 October 2015 | Updated 01 January 1970

Many businesses are still overly reliant on paper – which is why AIIM’s World Paper Free Day looks to remind us of practical ways to de-clutter the workplace.

Organisations all over the world are being encouraged to take the ‘paperless pledge’ and go paper-free for the day, as part of this year’s World Paper Free Day on 6 November.

The latest edition of this popular global campaign, is about challenging us to take solid steps on the path to using less paper, eliminating the waste and confusion that piles of office paper can create.

According to sustainability charity WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), the average office worker uses up to 45 sheets of paper per day, of which more than half is considered waste.

“It is hard to believe that in 2015, so many of us are still so reliant on paper,” said the President of the organisation behind the push, John Mancini of information professional membership group, AIIM. “It is slow, inefficient and terrible for the environment. There are much better options available, with more and more technology dedicated to reducing use of paper.”

AIIM conducts annual research into the state of the paperless office. Early results from this year’s research, ‘Paper-Free Progress: measuring outcomes’, shows that 31% of business executives admit their office is ‘piled high’ with paper documents.

AIIM’s research consistently shows that not only does paper create expensive waste, it also clogs up business processes. By digitising content, enterprises can improve their ability to service customers quickly and effectively, facilitate collaboration, improve access to information for team members, and increase overall productivity.

“We will never get rid of paper entirely,” says Mancini. “But the volume used unnecessarily every day is mind-blowing. World Paper Free Day is all about asking people around the world, to think a bit harder about whether they really need to press that print button.

“We all know that that’s the best way to help your business flourish, as well as protect the environment.”

Businesses and individuals alike can register for World Paper Free Day and get a WPFD Pledge Kit including social badges, by completing a simple online form. For each registration, AIIM will make a donation to One Laptop per Child, the non-profit organisation offering laptops for children in developing countries.

AIIM would also like people to get behind the campaign by sending photos of the adverse or unproductive ways that paper affects their worklife.

Fujitsu is offering five of its ScanSnap iX100 mobile scanners as prizes for the most extreme ways. All you have to do is Tweet your picture between now and November 6 using the hashtag #WPFD

Picture: Let's end the paper chase.

Article written by Cathryn Ellis | Published 09 October 2015

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