Going Green: 5 Ways to Go Paperless

If you are anything like me, you are bombarded with junk mail on almost a daily basis. I often wonder, "Where do these people get my name and address?" This is truly a rhetorical question because as a marketing professional, I know exactly where they get my name and address. And even when it isn't "junk mail" per se, I get envelope after envelope of bills and statements filled with even more paper, inserts, flyers and more. This paper just piles up to be filed away or gets immediately filed in the "round inbox," as I refer to my office garbage can.

If these feelings and conversations with yourself sound familiar, the good news is that there are ways to go paperless and get the clutter of paper out of your life. I made a commitment this year to go paperless-at least as paperless as I can go.

1. Stop the junk mail. I was perusing one of my green sites the other day and I came across a free service that allows you to put an end to your junk mail foes-at least 90% of it anyway. ProQuo is a free service that puts you in control of the mail you want to receive and the mail you don't. With a few clicks of your mouse, you can reduce the junk mail you receive-thus reducing your paper clutter. The irony here is that some of the companies require you to print out a form and mail it in to stop the junk mail, but besides that this is a service well worth checking into.
2. Get statements online. Almost every company you do business with these days gives you the option to receive your statements or other information online. From bank statements and credit card statements to the utility and credit card bill, all of this information can be accessed online, so why do you need it "snail mailed" to you? Go to each of your bill creditor's websites and choose the option to receive your statement online. Not only does this save paper, it saves gas and postage for mailing it USPS, and it saves you the time of having to open, read and file away a paper statement.
3. Electronic files. Paper files are a thing of the past. In many cases, there isn't a need for a file at all. Whether you save a file to the desktop of your computer or to a CD, this takes the place of a paper file. You're doing more than going paperless, you're also saving trees. Google docs is a new service that allows you to upload files to it so you have an online backup of your files. From Word docs to PDF files, this is a great way to have access to your "paper files" wherever you are, as long as you have access to the Internet.
4. Take electronic notes. At heart, I am a list maker. I make lists of the lists I need to make. At one time on my PDA and now on my iPhone, I have replaced these paper lists with electronic ones. It's a win-win because you can still make a note to yourself or create the grocery list, but you don't use and waste a piece of paper doing it.
5. Only print when necessary. It's a moot point to receive an email (an electronic file) and then print it. That defeats the whole purpose of electronic mail. While there are times when it may be necessary to print something out, think before you hit the print button. Only choose to print what is absolutely necessary.

By implementing these five ways to go green and go paperless, you are not only helping to save the environment, but you are also helping to de-clutter and de-paper your life.