The holiday season brings both excitement and stress to the office, which happens to result in weight gain. Paper weight gain. From Thanksgiving through the New Year, many businesses and households have a 25% increase in waste. This ends up being an additional 1 million tons of garbage per week!
Paper is the biggest contributor to waste during the holiday season. Think about all the wrapping paper, cards, bows and ribbons, etc that is used. Here are some ways that you can incorporate paperless ways in your office this holiday season to limit and reduce the use and waste of paper!
Send Holiday Cards Electronically.
Instead of sending traditional, paper cards and invitations, send them electronically! Of course you could also just stand up at your desk and yell “Happy Holidays!” but coworkers might appreciate it more if you simply sent an email.
Used Recycled Paper In The Copier.
The less paper copies an office creates, the better. However, it is unrealistic to think that copying can be eliminated all together. An alternative to that is loading your office copier with recycled or used paper. That way, copies aren’t wasting new paper, just reusing old paper.
Simplify Holiday Decorations.
Ditch those paper decorations this year. Have every member of your staff bring a holiday item from home to decorate the office! Or use large jars filled with red and green candy. Candy not only makes great decorations but everyone loves having candy around the office!
Eliminate Paper During Holiday Celebrations.
Using reusable dishes, utensils and glasses instead of paper and plastic saves money and reduces waste. Cloth napkins are also an alternative for those wanting to go the extra mile!
And don’t forget! – the New Year is only a month away, so now is a good time to start thinking about making a resolution to transform your office into a paperless one this year.
If you’re looking for more information about becoming paperless, or maybe just becoming a more efficient office, follow Biel’s Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn!