Copy
paper use cuts business
profits
Here is the bottom line even before I give you the details
about how your paper cuts are hitting your profits: You are throwing away
40% of the paper you use in your office and the work (salaries, wages,
etc.) that went into using it – all in the same day. You are buying paper
to use for minutes to a few hours if it is even used effectively at all.
As the gross domestic product (GDP)
of a country increases so does the use of office paper. The more
developed countries use far more paper per person and also have the
highest GDP per person.
Paper use is a large part of the
business economy
Paper use is directly correlated to the economy. Office
paper sales in the
US are down 17% in the
first half of 2009 in direct response to the recession. In other words,
if a country is not using paper, it is an indication that the economy may
not be doing well or is still in a developing state.
The
US uses more office
paper per capita than any other country due in part to the fact that it is
the largest economy but also in part because it is not as advanced in
conservation methods as many other countries are.
The
US spends about $4
billion per year to buy about 38.8 million tons of uncoated free-sheet
paper and of that about 7.5 million tons are high grade office paper such
as that used in printers and copiers. Of that 57% was recycled in 2007
with 3.2 million tons ending up in landfills…along with much of the costs
and potential profits associated with them.
Paper is a source of cost reduction
The average office worker in the
US uses about 10,000
sheets of copy paper each year. That costs about $50 to buy but more than
$500 when the costs of printing, copying, mailing, storage, etc. are
included. This does not include the cost of labor which is obviously far,
far higher – tens to many dollars per page in some cases. A single memo
could easily require fifteen minutes to write or one fourth of an hour.
What is your fully absorbed labor cost including all overheads?
At the very least
you can look at each sheet of paper as being about $0.05 each. How many
sheets do you find in your trash each day, week, month; year? Studies
show that 40% of copies do not even last a day before they end up in the
trash. You are throwing away 40% of your paper and the work that went
into using it…your paper is cutting your profits – all in the same day.
Here are eleven ways to cut paper
costs
- Don't create a copy/image in the
first place - keep it digital or don't use it
- Reduce the size of images such as
in printing 2 pages per sheet
- Duplex - print/copy on both sides
- Reuse paper - use the blank side
of a used sheet
- Thinner paper - use a lighter
weight of paper
- Automate - use integrated computer
systems that reduce or eliminate the need for paper
- Use copiers that are appropriately
sized and featured for your needs
- Use copiers that track usage by
person, department, job, etc. to allow for measurement and management of
use
- Use printers that are appropriate
to your needs and make sure you understand clearly the cost of ink and
toner
- Use fax machines that go straight
from digital to transmission and have the option to receive in digital
format without intermediate printing
- Use recycled ink and toner
cartridges
Get your
costs and bottom line profits
under control now
