Going paperless: 5 simple things you can do today

I remember huge piles of printed documents, reports, and invoices growing on our office tables in the mid-00s. Even though I became an office worker in the era of email, CRMs, and document management systems, we still used a ridiculous amount of paper. And the most disturbing thing about it is that paper consumption is not slowing down nowadays. 

Only in the US, offices use around 12.1 trillion sheets of paper a year. From 2010 to 2060, the global consumption of pulp and paper is expected to double. Paper accounts for around 26% of total waste at landfills.

It’s clear that we need to do more to reduce paper consumption. Using less paper and digitizing documents can not only drive a more sustainable future but also help to save costs and declutter your office space. It can also significantly streamline document workflows - from getting a contract signature to collaborating on reports. 

We support sustainability in every form - from a sustainable productivity approach to eco-friendly work strategies. Here are our five ways of going paperless that you can implement in the office, at home, or anywhere else that relies on paper documents. 

Utilize Cloud Storage: Store your digital documents securely in cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud. Cloud storage allows you to access your files from anywhere with an internet connection and ensures your data is backed up. 

Digitize documents. Instead of making paper copies of your documents, scan them and upload them to devices and Cloud storage so you can always use a digital copy. Use reliable scanning apps for document digitization, like PDF Expert or Scanner Pro, that make high-quality scans and have an OCR feature to recognize text in scanned documents and make them editable and searchable. 

Switch to electronic forms and signatures: Use the electronic signature feature in PDF Expert to sign contracts and agreements digitally. This eliminates the need for printing, signing, scanning, and mailing physical documents and saves lots of time. You can also fill out forms in PDF Expert on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and share them with colleagues or clients in seconds. 

Go Digital with Notes and Planning: Use note-taking apps like Evernote, PDF Expert, or Notion to jot down ideas, make to-do lists, and organize your thoughts digitally. PDF Expert provides advanced annotating tools that are perfect for focused reading and research work, from writing notes on fields to highlighting text, adding stamps, and leaving audio notes. 

Combine and compress digital documents. If you are a sales manager or a lawyer who deals with contracts and agreements daily, you can imagine how hundreds of documents will pile up in your laptop and Cloud storage. To save space and costs, use PDF Expert to merge several documents into one, delete pages or text you don’t need, and compress the final file to reduce its weight for storage and make it easier to share.

Bonus tip: Reuse paper. If it’s impossible to eliminate paper usage completely, reuse paper. Use the other side of the printed documents for notes, or print on both sides right away. This approach can reduce paper waste by up to 50%. Another good option is to use recycled paper when possible. If you want to see how much impact your paper usage has on the environment, here is a good online calculator. 

Implementing these tips can significantly reduce reliance on paper and create a more efficient and eco-friendly environment for your personal and business endeavors. We are proud to share that PDF Expert helps users around the world to use less paper and to rely more on digital documents - by creating easy-to-use document editing tools. Invest in reliable PDF Expert tools today to build a more sustainable tomorrow.

Do you have any tips on going paperless? Perhaps PDF Expert has helped you reduce paper consumption? Please share your experience with our community on Facebook and X.