How much paper and other resources are saved by computer technology?

Question

I remember when I first entered the work force twenty years ago...

Memos and meeting notices were written on paper and delivered to the mailbox of each person. It occurs to me that we are saving so much paper, ink, & printer time. It occurs to me that we are saving much more than the extra paper we had once used. The energy required to cut the trees, mill the paper, deliver the paper...

Also, the paper once used for accounting and tracking inventory are now tracked by computer. The storage space required for archiving is also much less.

It seems to me that we are making a lot of progress with more efficient uses of resources. So how much are we saving by using computer technology versus twenty years ago?

Answer 1

Steve buddy.. becuase of computers we now have printers capalbe of printing 80 pages a minute..  unfouruntalty we are using more paper than ever before.  

Answer 2

We could be saving on paper, if only we did not insist on making paper copies of every electronic message, of only we could use the technology as it is best used.

But when we have to take a document to a meeting, it likely goes on paper so that we can share it with all in attendance. We still have files of paper documents growing even faster because so many of us have ready access to printers and have not learned to use any other technology.

In a meeting we could all have our laptop and be reading and storing documents on our common server, either during the meeting or before it, or after it, as appropriate. This of course assumes we have laptops. If we have to use desktops we have to adapt by sharing info at the desk, on-line, before a meeting.

But when we try that, many will come to the meeting having barely scanned the documents needed, and will not remember all of it. They will feel a need for that paper document to remind themselves, and as a place to take extra notes.

We also go into meetings where the document is being presented on a monitor far from the viewers, who now really have to have that document on paper in front of them to work with it.

In effect we have made easy printing of many documents and made it necessary to do so mostly because we fail to collaborate in the on-line production of the document. When all participants have participated in creation of the document, they do not need a paper copy at a meeting. They know it.

Answer 3

talk to the folks who CYA with printed copies of emails. or those who email the person in the next cube instead of standing up and talking over the divider(they are printers for sure).

back when the secretary had to use carbons or a hugely expensive printer, only essentials got printed.

Answer 4

Computers result in a lot of printing. Ever see how many boxes of paper an office goes through?

Computers use energy.

Old computers take millions of years to break down and pollute the earth by sitting in it.

pre-computer - how much paper did I use to print on? 0

Post-computer - at least a box a month. They are paper guzzlers.