Of all the offenders against the environment, offices have to be one of the worst – if only inadvertently. It takes a great deal of energy and resources to keep businesses running, and the needs of enterprise often leave their mark on the planet, however unintentionally.
Yet, there is still some debate regarding how best to go about this. Believe it or not, there are some pretty simple first steps that can be taken at the employee level, according to The Epoch Times contributor James Richings. Things like ensuring computers are turned off at the end of each day and making green transportation choices are good starting points.
"Helping to create a more eco-friendly workplace can begin before you have even arrived at the office," Richings wrote. "You could reduce your carbon emissions by leaving the car at home and opting for public transport. Not only does this help the environment, but could save you money on fuel and parking. Alternatively, it might be possible to arrange a car-pool system with colleagues; one car on the road is surely better than four or five, and should you have the misfortune of being stuck in traffic you will at least have some company! Of course the greenest option is to ride a bike to work. This way you are emitting zero carbon emissions and keeping you fit at the same time!"
But not every means of going green has a simplified answer – or so it would appear, anyway. While it might seem like an afterthought, fax machines are some of the biggest paper wasters out there. Some organizations have long forgone faxing, but others choose its use over email for its elevated security or industry mandate. Fields like healthcare that are required to use fax machines may not see an easy way to cut down on paper consumption.
Like other aspects of business, the cloud is here to save the day – and the planet. Cloud-based faxing is not only possible, but it is even more effective than traditional faxing. Faxing in the cloud updates an aging process and allows for secure document transmission, but can drastically reduce the amount of paper used on a daily basis. This is an excellent way to create environmentally friendly/sustainable offices and "go green" – both in terms of the environment and operational costs.
Saving money and the world simultaneously
Paper usage is, by many accounts, out of control in the workplace. This is especially true in the case of faxing. While many documents are created and manipulated on computers these days, they still have to be printed out before being faxed. Once received, these messages are printed again and then most likely scanned back into another PC. This is a necessary process that is exceedingly wasteful of time, money and natural resources.
"Traditional faxing uses heaps of paper," wrote TMCnet contributor Mae Kowalke. "Documents must be printed and then fed into a fax machine, which prints an equal number of sheets on the receiving end. In most instances, fax papers are thermal-printed, meaning that the receiver also makes machine copy if the fax message is to be stored or kept for reference. Thus, a six-page faxed document produces 18 total pages end-to-end."
The answer to this issue lies in the cloud. Cloud-based fax effectively trims the fat from the act of faxing. Files can be transmitted directly from a computer or smartphone, eliminating the need for extra steps and large amounts of paper. This can help to maximize productivity, cut down costs associated with supply purchases and make the world just a little bit greener.
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