Since 1970, April 22 is celebrated as the Earth Day across the globe. This annual event founded by non-profit organization Earth Day Network (EDN) provides the opportunity to increase awareness about safeguarding the environment by minimizing our impact on the planet. This year’s theme is “It’s Our Turn to Lead”. More than a billion people in 192 countries will participate in activities and events to mark Earth Day, establishing a record as the largest civic observance in the world.
There are several things that organizations can do to participate in Earth Day. Reducing the use of paper is the first step in greening your office. According to Forest Ethics, North American paper consumption remains a major driver of forest destruction, North Americans consume 500 lbs more paper per capita than anyone else on earth, the U.S. accounts for 20% of all the pieces of junk mail delivered in the world, and 44% of the junk mail ends up in landfills! This means there is still a lot of potential for cutting the wasteful paper use.
Advanced technologies and Internet resources are helping office go paperless, save the trees, and save the Mother Earth. Document scanning and conversion from paper to electronic format provides digital versions of office reports and materials such as newsletters, brochures, business cards, coupons, catalogues, transactional statements, and more. Digitization ensures quicker document retrieval, improves file access and sharing capabilities, enhances data security, streamlines office work flow, boosts productivity and reduces the need for physical storage space.
Other things that you can do to support Earth Day:
- Encourage your employees to plant a tree
- Switch to using biodegrable products
- Increase use of online faxing and email to save paper
- Reduce waste with proper recycling and use of recycled materials
- Implement a staff training program on green practices and procedures
Join the global effort to protect the environment — incorporate sustainable practices into your daily operations. Happy Earth Day 2015!