Going Green with Document Imaging
Green business isn’t just talk anymore! Many companies today are working on Green Initiatives to make them more environmentally friendly. One popular initiative is to go “paperless” and implement a document imaging system. What could be more environmentally friendly than saving some paper, hence saving trees? Document management reduces paper creation, storage requirements, and travel costs. Online forms and signature eliminate paper at the source. There are many resources on Green Initiatives in the document imaging world provided by participating in groups such as AIIM, ARMA, and attending conferences that discuss these initiatives such as the ImageSource conference, “Nexus.”
When it comes to deciding what kind of scanners you need for your document imaging system, many companies are taking a harder look at which manufactures are producing environmentally friendly equipment. Some concerns include what type of chemicals used in the products, energy-saving modes, duplexing options, and if the manufacture recycles. Compared to other office equipment, (According to the EPA) a scanner consumes significantly less energy than a photocopier, resulting in lower green house gases.
American office workers use four million tons of copy paper annually, equivalent to 10,000 sheets of copy paper per worker. If the United States were to reduce office paper by 10%, 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases could be eliminated, the same as removing 280,000 cars from the road. As more companies implement document management systems, their paper creation and use goes down and therefore create less greenhouse gases. Although our world is far from being completely paperless, we are surely making great strides in that direction and lessening our footprint on the environment in the process.
Andrea Latham, CDIA+
Inside Sales
ImageSource, Inc.
Phone 360.943.9273
