Tips for Reducing Paper Waste

This post is a guest post written by Jess Weaver. It is edited by Christine Tolhurst.

As the years go by, it seems more and more wasteful to have paper floating around. Endless amount of trees are wasted each year. In my opinion, less paper is better. Maybe you don’t know how to go about using less paper. Here are some tips for reducing paper waste.

Tips for Reducing Paper Waste

Sign up for paperless billing- One way you can easily reduce paper waste is by signing up for paperless billing. This does take some getting used to, but it’s totally worth it! Set reminders on your phone to help you remember to pay your bills, even though they are paperless now.

Quit using so much paper- This is always easier said than done, but using less paper can help reduce paper waste. Whenever you have a conscious choice to use less paper, do so! This may mean forgoing getting a receipt from restaurants or doing things digitally when possible. Stopping the use of so much paper on a personal level is the #1 way to reduce paper waste.

Don’t print out so much- Believe it or not, but every time you print you are literally killing thousands of trees. Don’t print out something, unless it’s absolutely necessary. By necessary I mean, are you just going to throw it away?

Unsubscribe to magazines- One way you’re wasting paper and not realizing it is by all of those magazine subscriptions. Say no to those and hello to the online subscriptions. You can literally subscribe to anything online these days. This may take some getting used to, but imagine how much paper you’re saving!

Use an office collaboration system like Google Docs- A lot of paper is wasted within offices because of the printing and sharing. You can easily use Google Docs to share information within an office setting. I love this options because whether your cooperation is big or small, you can use Google Docs. It’s free and super easy to use!

Use cloth items for home use- Trust me, I get it, paper items can be heaven sent. However, using paper napkins and plates can really harm the environment and use up natural resources. Instead, try using cloth napkins and regular plates. If you are looking for ways to reduce paper in a place like the kitchen, check out my article on Going Paperless in the Kitchen.

As you can see, using these tips, you can easily reduce paper waste. And if you do use paper, make sure to recycle what you can. In my opinion, these changes are so small, you probably won’t miss the paper side of things. What tips do you have for reducing paper waste? I’d love to hear your ideas!