I used to work for a data and information management company. Our primary service was converting physical documents into digital form. The company’s mantra, and sales pitch, I guess, was “go paperless”.
Paperless Office – Courtesy of flickr user Dimi15
Paperless office is a unicorn. It is technically impossible to implement a zero-paper office environment for now. I know that as a fact.
But it is really possibly to go paperless on the personal level?
Outside of the office, I think it is possible to go paperless. Here’s how:
Ditch The Tree, Go To The Cloud
I’m old school. I own Moleskines. I take notes on 3×5 Index Cards. This is almost unnecessary now because we’re all on digital age, or even way past that as others would like to believe.
Evernote and SimpleNote are two of the most popular note-taking apps that are cloud-based. They are also platform agnostics, you can access them via any computing device (smart phones, tables, laptops, etc.).
Ditch The Bill, Automate The Payment
Stop your service providers from sending you monthly statements. Most Credit Card companies give you the paperless option for your statements.Most banks have similar paperless option. Inquire with your provider if they offer that option.
Or better yet, automate your bills to get paid directly from your bank accounts (Disclaimer: this is not a finance advice).
You can also try online services such as Mint or Pageonce to manage your bills and other accounts.
Ditch The Ink, Read The Pixel
I’ve been trying to go the paperless route on my reading life. I have been unsuccessful so far. Last year I purchased a Kindle reader so I would stop buying physical books and magazines.
This could work for other people. This is an aspect where you can go paperless.
Ditch the Subscriptions, Say Yes To Digital Subscription
I am a subscriber to dozens of trade magazines and vendor publications. I usually opt for the digital subscription if offered.
But there are other third-party companies that do not have the digital option. Weigh in if you still need that publication and, if not, you can ask these companies to stop sending.
Look for Do-Not-Mail services to help you get rid of junk or unwanted mails. Take a look at Catalog Choice for the idea.
Ditch The Printer, No Don’t Print That!
There is almost no need to print. Unless you are told to print something, do not print. Ask if you can scan and archive a document instead of printing it.
