Mailbox and recycling bin feeling a little bloated? Home office so stuffed that the dining room table is piled high with things you need to file?
Time for a paper diet!
Even if you’ve purged in the past, chances are you could use a little spruce up. Catalogs have an odd way of slipping back in long after you’ve attempted to ban them. And even if you’ve adopted a no printing policy, sometimes old habits die hard. We understand.
Here’s our 5 step Paper Purge Boot Camp:
- Get rid of bulk paper deliveries by cancelling your Yellow Pages (+10 PG points) and signing up for a catalog opt-out service (+20 PG points). Even if you have opted out before, it’s never a bad idea to do it again.
- Sign up for e-bills—from banking to credit card to electricity statements. And don’t forget those bulky investment mailings (all are worth 10 PG points).
- Ditch the printer—at home and at work. There are times when you might have to use one, of course. But it’s really easy to not print emails and save them digitally instead (+10 points).
- Become a paper saver at work! Opt for direct deposit (+10 points), sign up for a service to reduce junk mail (+10 points), and reuse paper for notes (+10 points).
- Use cloth instead of paper whenever you can (napkins, dish towels, reusable dusters and floor mops). If you can’t, choose recycled paper products.
We guarantee you will save more than a few trees and feel lighter and less cluttered instantly. If you want even more ideas, we’ve got a bunch right here. What’s your favorite way to minimize the paper overload in your life?
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2 Comments to 'How To: PG’s 5 Step Paper Purge Boot Camp'
January 12, 2013
Have done most of these suggestions for several years. Do use my printer, though not to print emails…who would do that anyway? For recording keeping purposes, a hardcopy often works best. Don’t print unless a hardcopy is needed.
Use the grayscale option to conserve ink, print on the back of used paper and use two-sided printing when feasible.
It’s hard to opt out from phone book delivery when you live in a multi-unit building. Have tried, but they get delivered anyway.
April 17, 2013
We don’t have a printer. I am usually only in need of one a couple of times a year, to own one almost seems wasteful. We also do estatements in our home to save paper. We drastically reduced our paper towel usage by using cloth to clean the counters and cloth napkins at meal times. There is no need for a phone book anymore when everything is online. Great post. Easy actions almost everyone can make.
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