Are you in a habit of keeping those paper utility bills just in case a dispute happens? Does your drawer contain folders of manuals, receipts, handouts, newsletters, etc. for reference later on? Do you sometimes forget to pay your bills because your monthly statement was late or worse, did not arrive? How many magazines and newspapers are stacked on your desk waiting for you to read them? Do you constantly print or photocopy materials when you can easily view them from your computer?
If you are like a lot of people, chances are you are guilty of paper crime which not only causes clutter in your home or workplace but also inflict damage to the environment. When mature trees are cut to produce paper, we also take the risk of inhaling unhealthy air or reducing our water supply. Trees filter out pollution, protect sources of fresh water, and fill the earth with oxygen. On the other side, when factories process paper, they also produce pollutants.
Here are five ways to help you reduce clutter and eliminate those paper mess, protect the environment, and also save time (you seriously don’t want to go through mounds of paper just to find a single document or do you?).
- Scan documents and receipts
If you can’t throw away documents or receipts, try scanning them or taking a picture with your digital camera or smartphone. You can then save them in organized digital folders on your mobile phone, personal computer, or hard drive. Have a backup in the cloud too for added security and safety.
- Switch from paper to digital subscriptions
Evaluate your subscriptions. If magazines and newspapers are only gathering dust on your table, perhaps you better switch to their digital version and read them on the go.
- Don’t be trigger happy
Think twice before hitting the print button. Keep printing and copying to a minimum and only when absolutely necessary.
- Go shopping with an ecobag
We often accumulate lots of paper bags when we go shopping or when buying food for takeout and those add up to incoming paper which end up in the trash. An ecobag could be the answer to this concern so bring one whenever you leave the house.
- Sign up to paperless billing
Instead of waiting for your monthly bill to reach your mailbox, why not sign up to electronic billing. You can easily view them anytime and anywhere via email and you won’t be complaining of late bills anymore. Globe Telecom, for instance, advocates paperless billing as part of its sustainability practice. Postpaid customers who want to join the campaign may text PAPERLESS<space>account number<space>e-mail address to 26826, dial *143# on their mobile phones and follow the instructions, visit the GoGreen page athttps://www.globe.com.ph/gogreen or Globe MyAccount, drop by at any Globe Store, or call the Customer Service Hotline (211 toll free from their mobile phone or 02-7301000 from any landline). More details at www.globe.com.ph/postpaid/paperless-billing.