Business Guide to Paper Reduction

University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2002 Business guide to paper reduction Heather Sarantis The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Sarantis, Heather, "Business guide to paper reduction" (2002). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 1721. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1721 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY The University of Montana Permission is granted by tiie author to reproduce this material in its entirety, provided tiiat this material is used for scholarly purposes and is properly cited in published works and reports. ••Please check "Yes" or "No" and provide signature** Yes, I grant permission No, I do not grant permission Author's SignaturéTTl^^ Date-./ylr,^ î.Poc::X Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only with the author's explicit consent. 8/98 BUSINESS GUIDE TO PAPER REDUCTION by Heather Sarantis B.S. University of Maryland, 1993 presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements to the degree of Mastas of Science The UnivCTsity of Montana May 2002 Approved by: Chairperson Dean, Graduate School s-oiô-o-z Date UMl Number: EP34195 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent on the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these w/ill be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT DisMrtation PtMMiing UMl EP34195 Copyright 2012 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Sarantis, Heather, M.S., May 2002 Environmental Studies Business Guide To Paper Reduction Chair: Bill Chaloupka This report is a tool kit for companies to reduce their paper consumption. It contains educational resources about trends in paper use, which are have been increasing steadily with greater accessibility to the internet and printing capabilities; an explanation of the different wa s that paper dependence costs companies, including purchasing, storage, lost documents, postage, waste, and labor inefficiîcy; and the environmental impacts of paper from forest extraction, production, and disposal. This report also contains a step-by-step guide to implementing a paper reduction effort in a company- While eveiy company will implement paper reduction in a way that is most apprq)riate to its culture and organization, in general most or all of the steps outlined in this guide will be necessary for a comprehensive reduction campaign. These steps include getting started, dedicating adequate support, auditing pape consumption, identifying and prioritizing ways to reduce paper consunption, encouraging involvement, tracking improvements, and sustaining efforts over time. These guidelines were developed from case studies conducted on Bank of America, Nike, Inc, AT&T, Alameda County and the Moore Foundation. All of these organizations are involved in paper reduction, but are at different stages in the process. These case studies include an overview of how each organization is pursuing paper reduction, some of the successes they have had, and challenges specific to their process. Many companies have documented savings of thousands or even millions of dollars through their pape reduction efforts. Some approaches, such as duplex (double-side) copying or printing, may address the everyday ways that people use paper. Other efforts, such as implementing online billing, have the potential to save companies millions of dollars through reduced paper, postage and processing costs. An initial audit of paper use will often reveal numerous cost-saving ways that paper could be eliminated or dramaticaU reduced without loss of performance. The contents of this report will be published on the ForestEthics website <www.forestethics.org>. ii Preface I want to thank the following people for their insight and feedback throughout this project: BiH Chaloupka, Neva Hassanein and Jeff Bookwalter of the University of Montana and Michael Nbux, Todd Paglia, and Adam Zaiinski of ForestEthics. I would also like to thank Bruce Nordman of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory for help in the initial planning of this project; Leta Winston of Nike Inc, Brad AUenby of AT&T, Ed Yoon of the Moore Foundation, and Beth Eckl, formerly of Alameda County for their openness and generosity of time for the interview process; and Steve lippman of Business for Social Responsibility and Susan Kinsella of Conservatree for their thou^tM feedback in the peer review process. I am espedally grateful to Bob Kee of Bank of America for his extensive teachings and feedback. This project was made possible by the generous funding of the Doris Duke Conservation Fellowship and The Packard Foundation. iii Table of Contents Abstract U Pre&ce iii I. Introduction 1 n. Education 2 A. Paper Consumption 2 B. Business Efl5ciency; The Argument Against Paper 4 C. Environmental Impacts: The Argument Against Paper 6 D. Efficiency. Where the Environment and Business Intersect 7 ni. Basic Guidelines for Reducing Paper Consumption 8 Start with a vision 9 Do an initial assessment of inefficient paper use 9 Get buy-in from top leadership 9 Identify allies 10 Make the case 10 Develop a policy that fits with the organization 10 Dedicate adequate support and empower a champion 11 Inform key personnel of the change in policy 12 Organize a team of people to support the work 12 Audit paper consumption 13 Identify and prioritize paper reduction efforts 16 Pilot projects 22 Encourage Involvement 22 Educate paper vendors of relevjutt changes in your policies 24 Track results over time 25 Communicate success to participants and the public 26 Continuously find ways to reduce number of sheets and/or paper weight, 26 increase percentage of environmentally preferable paper choices and eliminate waste. IV. Case Studies 27 A. Bank of America 27 B. Nike, Inc 40 C AT&T 43 D. Alameda County 48 E. The Moore Foundation 51 V Conclusion 54 Appendix A: Paper Audit Worksheet 56 Append» B; Related Organizations and Resources 60 Appendix C: Bank of America Educational Resources 64 Bibliography 73 Footnotes 75 List of Tables Table 1: Paper Reduction Techniques 17 Table 2: Environmental Benefits of the Internet at AT&T 45 Table 3: Economic and Environmental Savings from Online Billing at AT&T 47 List of Figures Figure 1: Tips on Enwonmental Leadership in Companies 42 iv L Introduction Mgh quality vision, efficiency, and creativity are key ingredients to a successful business. While much emphasis is placed on how these factors affect a business' product, companies are also seeking ways to improve their internal operations. Increasingly, they are finding that reducing paper consumption can improve efficiency and reduce costs. Additionally, it can earn them an environmentally conscious reputation. This report is a tool kit for companies to reduce their paper consumption. It contins educational resources about trends in paper use, which are have been increasing steadily with greater accessibility to the internet and printing capabilities; an explanation of the different ways that paper dependence costs companies, inchading purchasing, storage, lost documents, postage, waste, and labor inefficiency; and the environmental impacts of paper from forest extraction, production, and disposal. This report also contains a step-by-step guide to implementing a papa" reduction effort in a company. While ev^ company wiD implement paper reduction in a way that is most appropriate to its culture and organization, in general most or all of the steps outlined in this guide will be necessary for a comprehensive reduction campmgn. These steps include getting started, dedicating adequate support, auditing paper consumption, identifying and prioritizing ways to reduce paper consumption, encouraging involvement, tracking improvements, and sustaining efforts over time. These guidelines were developed fiôm case studies conducted on Bank of America, Nike, Inc, AT&T, Alameda County and the Moore Foundation. All of these organizations are involved in paper reduction, but are at different stages in the process. These case studies include an overview of how each organization is pursuing paper reduction, some of the successes they have had, and challenges specific to their process. Many companies have documented savings of thousands or even millions of dollars through their paper reduction efforts. Some approaches, such as duplex (double-side) copying or printing, may address the everyday ways that people use paper. Other efforts, such as implementing online billing, have the potential 1 to save companies millions of dollars through reduced paper, postage and processing costs. An initial audit of paper use will often reveal numerous cost-saving ways that paper could be dramatically reduced without loss of performance. As this report demonstrates, with dedication and planning there is significant potential for a successfiil paper reduction campaign. Additionally, based on the cost-savings potential, there is little econoimc justification not to initiate such an effort. And the environmental benefits of paper reduction indicate that what is good for business can be good for the environment. n. Education A. Paper Consumption As many people who work in an office can attest, paper use may feel ubiquitous. Being swamped under piles of memos, reports, to do lists, order forms, and staff manuals, paper's services can feel indispensable, yet the paper itself can be a great burden.

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