Working in an office can be a real test for the environmentally-conscious. With the constant flow of memos, presentations and other printed materials the average office uses about 1.5 pounds of paper every day, that’s approximately 50 sheets for every office worker. This number is on the rise, with the average paper use in offices rising 20% every year. Often overlooked, but just as big of an issue is the amount of ink used during the printing process. Fortunately there are several ways to save paper, save ink and save the environment.

* Check Your Work – One of the biggest wastes of paper and printer inks is printing documents that have errors. It is completely understandable to not want to provide your fellow employees and superiors with incorrect information but having to throw away 200 memos is a huge waste of paper, ink and company money. Check your work thoroughly before you print to save a lot of heartache and resources.

* Print Only What You Need – Before printing check the document and determine how much of the information is necessary to get your point across. Not only is this a great way to save ink and paper, it will also make your documents and presentations more enjoyable for the people they are intended for.

* Use Draft Settings – Not exactly a way to save paper, but if you have a lot of printing to do using the draft settings for your printer will help save a lot of ink. The draft settings on your printer allows you to print much lighter, yet still readable documents which can be used for less important documents. The draft settings are not advisable for highly important papers, such as resumes, however, and should be used wisely.

* Use Recycled Paper – Recycled paper has become big business in recent years. The manufacturing process has become very streamlined for recycled paper, which has helped make it extremely affordable. If your office is not using recycled materials already talk to the person in charge of ordering and explain the advantages of using recycled paper.

* Use Email & PowerPoint – One of the best ways to save paper and ink in your office is to use computers whenever possible. E-mails, instant messengers and PowerPoint presentations have made it easier than ever to transfer documents and provide information without wasting valuable resources. This is also a great solution outside the office for sending party invitations, thank you notes and other important information to friends and family.

Tags: save ink, save money on ink

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 at 3:10 pm and is filed under Usage Tips.