Business Guide to Paper Reduction - Tufts Office of Sustainability

Action Benefits and Challenges Links, References, and Resources
Reducing Paper
Weight
Using paper with
less fiber
content. Paper is
sold in pound
weight. For
example, 20-
pound paper
weighs 20
pounds per 2,000
sheets.
Benefits
Lighter weight paper uses less
wood pulp per sheet, so it
saves both trees and costs.
Office paper is often a heavier
weight than needed to meet job
specifications, and thus for
general office use lighter
weight paper may be a simple
replacement.
Most printers and copiers
handle 20-pound paper without
risk of jamming, and some can
handle even lower weight.
In this report:
Bank of America
Resources:
Lawrence Berkeley Labs Cutting
Paper Website
Challenges
Anything below 20-pound
paper can be difficult to
without special ordering.
Lower weights may not work
well with all high-speed
copiers or printers.
Some companies have very
strict regulations about what
kind of paper should be used
for various purposes.
Eliminating or
reducing
internal report
distribution
Removing
unneeded names
from distribution
lists or making
reports available
only online.
Benefits
Many companies find
significant inefficiencies in
report distribution, making it a
strong possibility for cost
savings.
Challenges
Cleaning distribution lists
requires people to participate
in surveys to determine who
should be on each list.
In this report:
Bank of America
Alameda
Business Guide to Paper Reduction 44