More ways to go paperless you haven’t thought of

We’ve shared ways to make your company paperless, but how can you eliminate using so much paper at home? Paper can easily crowd your kitchen counters and coffee table, making it difficult to find important papers when you need them. 

Going paperless doesn’t need to be an “all-or-nothing” plan. Take steps to decrease your paper usage and you will slowly reduce your reliance on paper and cut out the paper clutter at home.  

What are the benefits of going paperless?

Going paperless benefits the environment, saves money, and reduces clutter in your home. Even if you aren’t overwhelmed with tons of paper, having a near-paperless home can help reduce clutter. Studies show clutter causes stress and anxiety and decreases productivity and creativity.  

It might be a no-brainer that going paperless has a positive environmental impact...but how much of an impact? Did you know the average American receives 41 lbs. of junk mail per year—and of that, nearly 50% of that mail is never even opened?

Taking the leap to reduce paper and have a more eco-friendly lifestyle will make a big impact on the number of trees destroyed every year—while making your life feel less cluttered. It’s a win-win, so what steps can you take to go paper free? 

Ways to go eliminate paper use at home

1. Remove yourself from unnecessary mailing lists 

Over time, we find ourselves on countless mailing lists receiving catalogs from stores we no longer purchase from. We put together a helpful guide on how to remove yourself from mailing lists so you can stop receiving unwanted mail. 

When you do still receive junk mail at home, make sure it goes into the recycling bin instead of tossing it in the trash.

2. Enroll in E-Statements

Think of the bills you pay regularly. If they aren’t already online-only, you can shift to electronic bill statements so that you never receive monthly letters from your credit card company, bank(s), or utility companies. Take it a step further and pay those bills online, too. 

3. Digital subscriptions 

Do you still receive physical magazines, newspapers, and/or newsletters? An easy way to transition to paperless is turning those subscriptions to purely digital, or canceling them. A positive aspect of social media is we have news, entertainment articles, and more at our fingertips. So, maybe reevaluating if you still need your newspaper or magazine is a good idea—plus, it will save you money! Many newspapers and magazines provide e-editions, so you can still access all the reading material you want without having to manage the paper load that comes with them. 

If you are an avid reader and purchase your books, consider borrowing from your local library or switching to an e-reader such as Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, etc. 

4. Use cloud storage 

Do you have a file cabinet with old documents? Scanning your important documents, recipes, mail, and receipts and storing them in the cloud can cut down on paper storage. Cloud apps include Google Drive, DropBox, Microsoft OneDrive, and more. When you sync to a cloud storage, you’ll easily search and share your documents.

5. Reduce paper usage in everyday life

If your countertops are cluttered with various types of pieces of paper grocery lists and notes, consider using an app to manage to-do lists or simply using a dry erase board on your fridge. Both can eliminate the need to have notepads around the house. You can also stop using paper products, such as paper towels and paper plates, and opt for dishes and towels instead. 

Another way to go paperless: A virtual mailbox 

With a virtual mailbox, your incoming mail and important documents become digital and can be organized in cloud storage. We integrate with preferred softwares such as Xero, DropBox, Quickbooks, Bill.com, and more. 

Everything that you receive, we recycle—unless you want the physical item. When you do, all you need to do is let us know and we will ship it to you. 

Interested? Learn more. When you sign up for a virtual mailbox with Earth Class Mail, we plant a tree for you through our partnership with the National Forest Foundation.