10 easy ways to save paper in the office

1. Touch-up the templates

Format your most commonly used documents so they use fewer pages by using narrower margins and slightly smaller fonts. While readability is key, that memo heading in 24-point all-caps IS PROBABLY OVERKILL.

2. Bin the bins

Does everybody need a bin beneath their desk? What paper-wasting habits are being hidden? Consider having central bins that are less easy to use – they’ll make staff think twice before throwing paper away.

3. Sign up

You don’t have a recycling service? Tsk tsk. Sign up for one pronto and put the bins in an easy-to-reach central area.

4. Change the culture

Relax a little about having minor, legible corrections on internal documents rather than printing out fresh copies each time you pick up a mistake with apostrophe’s apostrophes. Have several people review and correct the same print-out before a final copy is done.

5. Make it easy

Ensure every staff member has two paper trays on their desk, one for paper that’s been printed on one side and can be used again, the other for paper that’s been printed on both sides and is destined for the recycling bins.

6. Tray training

Set aside a tray in the printer for paper that has already been printed on once. Ask staff to collect their clean, uncreased used paper and run it through the copier or printer again.

7. Twice as nice

Ask IT to make double-sided printing the default on office computers and printers – at least for internal documents. Make sure staff know how to override this setting for external documents.

8. Money talks

Make sure everyone knows what a ream of paper costs, and how much the company is spending on it. A bottle of wine for the person who saves the most paper gets the paper-saving message out there in a way that makes people feel good.

9. Go digital

Send e-cards at Christmas and use an email service such as MailChimp for your newsletters. Try to get in the habit of proofing work on-screen rather than on print-outs – enlarging text makes it easier on your eyes.

10. Be selective

Making a correction to page 12 of a 20-page report? Don’t reprint the whole thing – most word processing software will let you print a selection of pages – it’s a good habit to get in to.