What you need to know
The cost of the paper we use is not just financial. From a sustainability point of view, there's also a significant environmental cost.
Each year, Australians use 1.7 million tonnes (1) of printing and writing paper. At an estimated 24 trees per tonne, this amount of paper uses up the equivalent of tens of millions of trees (2).
The process of turning these trees into paper uses vast amounts of water and energy. A million tonnes of this paper is imported every year (1), creating significant transport emissions. Dumping paper in landfill also creates methane. This whole process generates millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases.
A big part of this problem is the huge amount of paper that people use in the workplace. A 2009 audit showed that each government employee uses an average of 9300 sheets of office paper (3) every year. Paper waste is the single biggest component of solid waste in the workplace (4).
The secondary impacts of our paper use also have major financial and environmental impacts.
The electricity used to power printers, faxes and photocopiers costs money and creates emissions that contribute to climate change.
Last year, Australian businesses sent 4.2 billion paper items by post (5). Delivering this mail generates significant greenhouse emissions, as well as creating a big dent on the bottom line of Australia's businesses. Much of this communication can now be done electronically at a massively reduced cost.
While your business can't go without paper, there are some very good reasons to use less paper - and go 'Paper-Less'.
Paper is an out-dated technology that:
- was invented thousands of years ago
- isn’t needed for many of today’s business processes
- imposes restrictions and inefficiencies on your business
Paper impacts on the environment:
- not all trees used in paper are grown sustainably
- making paper uses vast amounts of water and energy, and generates large amounts of greenhouse gases
- paper mills generate solid waste as well as air and waste water emissions
- disposing of paper in landfill creates the potent greenhouse gas methane
Paper hurts the bottom line by:
- damaging productivity and imposing inefficiencies on businesses
The primary cost of paper:
The secondary costs of paper are many times more due to:
- printing and copying
- postage and packing
- storage and disposal
- staff administration and time
- wasted office space and infrastructure
Learn more facts about paper.
Read some great tips on how to reduce your paper usage.
(1) The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE)
(2) The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC)
(3) The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) 2009, "Green Office Procurement and Sustainable Office Management"
(4) Resource NSW 2002, 'Waste Reduction in Office Buildings, A Guide for Tenants'.
(5) Australian Financial Review 29/07/09, 'Paper cut could hurt Australia Post's bottom line', pg. 3.
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