Pic by Dan Taylr

Businesses everywhere are making an effort to be more eco-friendly. There are many ways to do it, but one of the most popular is going paperless. You can't always get rid of paper from your office completely, but you can do your best. Cutting down on paper for your business doesn't just help the environment. It also makes your company more organized, getting rid of unnecessary paper that takes up space or requires recycling. The best way of cutting down on paper is to digitize as much as you can. Try these tasks to get rid of paper in your office.

Digitize Existing Paper Documents

First, you need to deal with the existing paper you have. If you have filing cabinets and folders full of paper, it could take a while to tackle them. But doing it can make things more organized and free up space in your office. Start by sorting through everything you have to work out what you need to save. Some documents may be old and irrelevant, and you might be able to put them straight in the shredder or recycling. When you scan your documents, make sure you get the front and back of each piece of paper. Create a folder system for storing them and don't forget to create backups too.

Make Your Mail Digital

You can get an awful lot of paper through the mail. One way to stop this is by having a virtual address. I can have my mail sent elsewhere, and the staff there will scan my postal mail. It then goes straight to my inbox. Of course, this doesn't avoid the paper being used in the first place. However, it means you already have digital copies of your mail without having to scan them yourself. Your paper mail doesn't have to sit in piles in your office.

Pic by Jonathan Joseph Bondhus

Bank Online

Online banking is essential if you want to become a paperless office. You can receive many bank statements in the mail, which can get in the way. While they're useful, they don't need to be on paper. If you have online banking, you can ask for paperless statements. Anytime you want to see your statements, they should be available to look at on your account. Online banking can make many other things more convenient too, from loans to payments.

Get Rid of the Need for Printing and Photocopying

Gone are the days when everyone needs to have a photocopy of a document for a meeting. If everyone needs the same information, you can email it to them. There's no need for anyone to print it out if they have a laptop or tablet they can bring to the meeting. If you can't completely cut out the need for printing and photocopying, you can reduce it. Create printing and photocopying policies so that staff only use them when it's necessary.

It's easier than you think to cut down on paper in your office. With the right policies in place, you can make a huge change.