Four Ways Going Paperless Helps Save the Environment

Did you know that consumers are more likely to buy from companies that they perceive to have a positive impact on society and the environment? This means that if you want to boost your reputation and revenue, caring for nature should be part of your business strategy.

One effective way to do this is to invest in paperless technologies like accounts payable (AP) automation.

How do paperless solutions make your business more nature-friendly?

Paperless solutions reduce your dependence on paper and paper-centric processes. AP automation, in particular, automates key steps in invoice processing. This allows AP teams to complete the AP process quickly and without using a single piece of paper.

In terms of environmental benefits, these are the ways you contribute to nature by going paperless.

1. You save forests

Paper is a versatile material that can be recycled repeatedly, which is one major reason behind its time-tested popularity. Even so, a large percentage of today’s paper is freshly manufactured.

This means that thousands of trees are still cut every year to manufacture the material, contributing to the dwindling of forests around the world.

Forests are crucial for many reasons. They reduce carbon in the air and produce the oxygen we breathe. Forests also harbor various species and complete ecosystems.

By taking steps to reduce the amount of paper your company uses, as many businesses are also doing, you are helping minimize the loss of our forests.

2. You help decrease pollution

The paper industry is one of the biggest consumers of energy on the planet. Therefore, it’s not surprising that it’s also one of the biggest contributors to pollution.

In fact, manufacturing one sheet of paper emits about 150% of its weight in carbon dioxide—that is, producing a ton of paper emits 1.5 tons of the toxic gas.

But that’s not all.

To produce the various colors, textures, and types of paper, the industry uses a variety of chemicals, many of which are pollutants. Paper products also have to be transported using vehicles that run on fossil fuels, which produce greenhouse gases when burned.

3. You help save water

For many people around the world, fresh drinking water is a rare and treasured resource. Some experts believe that at some point, we won’t have enough potable water to support the planet’s growing human population.

This becomes more concerning when you consider that making a single piece of paper takes about 1.5 cups of water. Considering how much paper is made every day, you’re looking at thousands of gallons of water you can help conserve simply by going paperless.

4. You reduce the usage of paper-related products

Unfortunately, paper alone has very little use in the office. To produce paper documents, you’d need other equipment, tools, materials, and resources. These include ink, printers, toners, electricity, and more. To store your paper documents, you’d need folders, envelops, clips, and metal cabinets.

Let’s not even get started on what it takes to ship documents or to dispose of them. Manufacturing or producing all these require their own chemicals and processes that could adversely affect the environment.

Using less paper, or none at all, means you use less of these products and ease the strain on the environment.

Whether you’re looking to streamline your processes, save money, earn more revenue, or help create a better world for yourself and your customers, going paperless is a sound move. At PairSoft, we can help you get started and implement a solution that is the best fit for your business. Schedule a free personalized demo today to learn more about our services.