World Environment Day (June 5) is a great day to finally embrace digital workflows and make a contribution to save the planet. Sounds ambitious doesn’t it?
It’s not as hard as you think.
At signNow, we’re always ready to remind you that you’re capable of a feat of this magnitude.
Here’s why:
- 50% of business waste is constituted by paper
- Over 30 million acres of forest are destroyed annually to produce paper
- Paper production uses up lots of water. A piece of A4 paper requires 5 liters of water per sheet
- The average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper each year
So as you can see, using paper costs way more than producing it. And when paper is burned, it emits vast amounts of carbon dioxide — about 27–29 kg per ton of paper — into the atmosphere.
Compare that to the fact that every tree produces enough oxygen for only 3 people.
The solution is already here: Switch to digital workflows
Going paperless and switching your paper-based workflows to digital workflows is not a brand new thing.
But the main point isn’t necessarily just to make electronic versions of documents. The goal here is to create a permanently efficient workflow.
And paper is an impediment to achieving this. Once a document gets printed out, the paperless workflow cycle is broken. The waste and financial strain in and of itself should be ample reason to go completely digital.
Just imagine this. On average, an office worker still prints 27 pages per day (which makes a total of 10,000 sheets of paper per year).
For this reason, we’ve prepared a special go-green set of instructions for you.
How to throw your printer away in 3 easy steps
1. Put on rubber gloves.
Yes, you may break down in tears as you disassemble that printer that you paid so much for.
And by the way, when you’re done, collect all of the spare parts and bring them to a recycling center. Your printer consists of plastic, metal, circuit boards and other materials that should be recycled.
It takes over 1000 years for the average plastic cartridge to decompose.
2. If you use an inkjet printer, pull out the ink cartridge. Ink is especially dangerous for the environment.
In a recent West Virginia University research, printer toner was linked to to genetic changes and health risks. According to what the research reveals, the microscopic toner nanoparticles that waft from laser printers may change our genetic and metabolic profiles in ways that make disease more likely.
3. Take your cartridges to one of these services.
- Costco: provides free shipping and shipping boxes for all transactions with a value of at least $1.
- Staples: order boxes online, fill them and send them back to their recycler using the prepaid shipping label.
- Office Depot: in addition to toner cartridges, they will also accept your old cell phones and rechargeable batteries.
Keep in mind that some corporations offer special recycling programs.
For example, Hewlett-Packard offers in-store drop off and free shipping for HP brand ink cartridge recycling. And Canon allows you to ship your used cartridges for free at any FedEx Office location.
Recycling is not enough anymore
Minimizing paper production is one of the most significant ways we can impact our environment.
For example, by scanning all existing documents in your office, you can eliminate time consuming searches and create a safe cloud storage for them.
The next step is implementing electronic signature policies.
This will help you significantly reduce document turnaround time. It goes without saying that eSignatures save your employees from paper-based routine work. They can also positively impact your company branding.
In fact, an eSignature platform is a must if you want to close deals as quickly as possible while also saving money. Also, safe and easy-to-use services make it possible to decrease the contract cycle and attract more customers.
With a platform like signNow, going green is not just about papers and printers. It’s also about creating a new digital and environmental-friendly mindset.
Here’s how signNow’s eSignature solution revolutionizes digital workflows and saves the planet
Zionsville Eyecare took a stand against paper waste and embraced signNow’s eSignature solution to reduce their carbon footprint. By enabling patients to complete forms online prior to their visits, they embarked on a sustainable journey.
Challenges before signNow:
❌ Excessive expenses on printing and duplicating patient forms
❌ Time-consuming tasks like printing, scanning, and storing paperwork
❌ Manual HIPAA compliance checks for every medical record
Results achieved with signNow:
✅ Reduced paper costs by transitioning to a digital platform with signNow
✅ Enhanced patient experience with faster service and reduced wait times
✅ Eliminated document errors and ensured seamless HIPAA compliance
Witness the transformation as Zionsville Eyecare maximizes efficiency, streamlines processes, and contributes to a greener future with signNow’s cutting-edge eSignature solution.
Using signNow, we feel the savings mostly in the time aspect. Reduction in labor hours previously spent on printing and scanning multiple documents during and after the patients’ visits is enormous! Also, we LOVE Kiosk Mode! It made our office life so much easier!
— Alicia,
IT Project Manager at Zionsville Eyecare
Originally published in June 2019, updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness in June 2023
