We all know that paper-waste is bad for the environment but what exactly are we doing to decrease the amount of paper that hits the trash each year? Depending on how much paper you use it could be easier to go paperless than you think. With computers and smartphones now a major part of everyday life and the launch of data sharing devices such as IDBS eln (Electronic Laboratory Notebook) there’s little excuse for not embracing a digital life. Here are some ways to make the move towards a paperless environment:
Note taking and to-do lists:
Many of us are still partial to a to-do list in order to make sure everything gets done which can result in endless scraps of paper by the end of the day. There are however various apps that can compile all your lists and notes in one place, in fact most smartphones come with a both a note taker and a reminder/to do list function already built in. Considering how much time most of us spend attached to our phones there’s no excuse to not make the most of them.
Emails:
Emails have 100% taken over from the classic letter in the post especially when it comes to work correspondence. Could you imagine sending a letter in the post to discuss a work issue instead of quickly tapping out an email? If you’re inbox is hoarding emails then imagine all of those in paper form, you’d be stuck in a paper swamp!
Contact details and messaging:
The days of neatly writing down and keeping friends addresses and phone numbers in an address book are potentially numbered thanks to the increased use of mobile phones. In today’s world having all the contact numbers you need stored in your phone is second nature in fact even the number of address books on our shop shelves are dwindling.
With so many ways to reduce the amount of paper in our lives we can all make small changes that will reduce waste and aid the environment. Could you live without paper? Join the conversation on twitter by using #letsgopaperless
