Every business uses office paper, so every business has an opportunity to minimise their environmental impact from paper use. There are two things you should aim to do:

1. Reduce the amount of paper used

Click here for tips on how to reduce paper use

2. Source environmentally friendly stock

Click here for information on buying environmentally friendly office paper

Tips for reducing paper use

1. Duplex printing
Print on both sides of the paper. If you have duplex printing facilities on your printers & photocopiers, set them to default to duplex so staff don’t have to actively think about it. Otherwise, leave clear instructions on the printer/photocopier to make it as easy as possible.

2. Printing Emails
Minimise the printing of emails. It is often unnecessary and accounts for a large volume of office waste. Include a “Think before you print” message in the footer of emails.

3. Once Used Paper Tray
Place a tray next to printers and photocopiers for paper that has been used on one side only. It can be either fed back into the machine, or used for scrap paper or notebooks.

4. Electronic Document Storage
Maximise the use of electronic document storage systems, and minimise the printing of duplicates, triplicates, quadruplicates, etc……

Buying environmentally friendly paper

In the past, recycled paper has had a reputation of 'not being white enough' or 'not being an adequate quality' but you might be surprised just how much things have changed over the last few years.

There is a range of good quality recycled paper options available on the market - many from known and trusted brands. Choosing the right paper can be a daunting process. A comprehensive assessment involves considering factors such as the raw materials used, the production and bleaching process, transportation and quality - just to name a few. The good news is, others have done the assessment work for us!

A quick guide outlining various environmentally friendly options has been jointly produced by a number of Australian environment groups.

You can download it from The Wilderness Society website by clicking here.

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