How to Go Paperless
Subscribe to digital content instead of hard copies., Eliminate junk mail by opting out., Buy an e-reader., Sign important documents digitally., Use cloth napkins., Go through the stacks and start recycling.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Subscribe to digital content instead of hard copies.
While there's nothing wrong with subscribing to a few of your favorite periodicals, big stacks of magazines you don't read is a big waste of energy, ink, and most importantly, paper.
Reduce or eliminate your newspaper and magazine subscriptions to the bare essentials and opt for digital versions of the magazines you read most often.
Use online resources for reading as much as possible.
Besides saving trees, you'll have less clutter and pay less.
You also get the ability to search effortlessly and you can archive electronically if you need to save the information. -
Step 2: Eliminate junk mail by opting out.
Catalogs, sales circulars, and any number of other advertisements can clutter your mailbox and your garbage can.
Frustrating and unasked for, junk mail makes you feel guilty for producing garbage you didn't even want in the first place.
But by being proactive and following a few simple steps, you can opt out of most circulars and cut down on this wasteful practice.
Contact the Mail Preference Service and request that you be placed on a do-not-mail list and contact individual mailers to have your address removed.
You can't go through the postal service, because the mail deliverer can't legally decide what mail addressed "To Resident" is undesirable.
If you don't want it, contact them at the source.
Advo, Pennysaver, Potpourri, and Redplum are common mass-market mailing services.
Contact companies that you've patronized in the past and request that your address be removed from their mailing list.
Sign up for their email list instead, so you don't miss out on good deals., One of the great things about getting the newspaper, your favorite magazine, or a good paperback, is that you can tote it around with you.
No one wants to sit and read at the computer all day.
But you don't have to! Get an e-reader like a Kindle, a Nook, or an iPad and upload your favorite reading material onto an easy-to-transport and even easier-to-read interface.
If you're too in love with the feel of real books to use a cold stainless e-reader, you're not alone.
But that doesn't mean you need to buy brand new hardbacks and contribute to paper waste.
Visit your local public library and share books, magazines, and newspapers for free.
Many libraries actually have e-borrowing, which will let you borrow e-books and read them on your mobile device or tablet for a limited period of time. , Signing important documents is the one time you've got to print and deal with real paper, right? Wrong.
Secure services offer the ability to verify signatures online more easily than ever, making it a breeze to stay paperless even when it comes to putting pen to paper.
PowerPad Lite, SignNow, DocuSign, and HelloSign are all services that offer digital signature options.
It's easy and widely available.
One of the more DIY ways of doing this is to sign a piece of paper, then scan it into your computer.
Crop the image around your signature and import it directly into a Word file, and save as a pdf. if you want.
When you send your message, then, you can have your signature right on the file. , Tissues and paper towels are quick and convenient, but can quickly add to your household waste.
Instead of using paper products to clean up, make the switch to washable cloth towels and handkerchiefs to cut down on your paper garbage. , Still got old term papers from high school? User manuals for old VCRs? Every issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated from ’92-’98? It’s probably time to tackle the piles of paper you’ve already built up and cut down on the clutter.
Just going through the piles that you've got lying around can be a good way of making yourself feel as if you've made some important steps in going paperless.
Recycle the paper you're getting rid of and move forward into the paperless frontier, uncluttered. -
Step 3: Buy an e-reader.
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Step 4: Sign important documents digitally.
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Step 5: Use cloth napkins.
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Step 6: Go through the stacks and start recycling.
Detailed Guide
While there's nothing wrong with subscribing to a few of your favorite periodicals, big stacks of magazines you don't read is a big waste of energy, ink, and most importantly, paper.
Reduce or eliminate your newspaper and magazine subscriptions to the bare essentials and opt for digital versions of the magazines you read most often.
Use online resources for reading as much as possible.
Besides saving trees, you'll have less clutter and pay less.
You also get the ability to search effortlessly and you can archive electronically if you need to save the information.
Catalogs, sales circulars, and any number of other advertisements can clutter your mailbox and your garbage can.
Frustrating and unasked for, junk mail makes you feel guilty for producing garbage you didn't even want in the first place.
But by being proactive and following a few simple steps, you can opt out of most circulars and cut down on this wasteful practice.
Contact the Mail Preference Service and request that you be placed on a do-not-mail list and contact individual mailers to have your address removed.
You can't go through the postal service, because the mail deliverer can't legally decide what mail addressed "To Resident" is undesirable.
If you don't want it, contact them at the source.
Advo, Pennysaver, Potpourri, and Redplum are common mass-market mailing services.
Contact companies that you've patronized in the past and request that your address be removed from their mailing list.
Sign up for their email list instead, so you don't miss out on good deals., One of the great things about getting the newspaper, your favorite magazine, or a good paperback, is that you can tote it around with you.
No one wants to sit and read at the computer all day.
But you don't have to! Get an e-reader like a Kindle, a Nook, or an iPad and upload your favorite reading material onto an easy-to-transport and even easier-to-read interface.
If you're too in love with the feel of real books to use a cold stainless e-reader, you're not alone.
But that doesn't mean you need to buy brand new hardbacks and contribute to paper waste.
Visit your local public library and share books, magazines, and newspapers for free.
Many libraries actually have e-borrowing, which will let you borrow e-books and read them on your mobile device or tablet for a limited period of time. , Signing important documents is the one time you've got to print and deal with real paper, right? Wrong.
Secure services offer the ability to verify signatures online more easily than ever, making it a breeze to stay paperless even when it comes to putting pen to paper.
PowerPad Lite, SignNow, DocuSign, and HelloSign are all services that offer digital signature options.
It's easy and widely available.
One of the more DIY ways of doing this is to sign a piece of paper, then scan it into your computer.
Crop the image around your signature and import it directly into a Word file, and save as a pdf. if you want.
When you send your message, then, you can have your signature right on the file. , Tissues and paper towels are quick and convenient, but can quickly add to your household waste.
Instead of using paper products to clean up, make the switch to washable cloth towels and handkerchiefs to cut down on your paper garbage. , Still got old term papers from high school? User manuals for old VCRs? Every issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated from ’92-’98? It’s probably time to tackle the piles of paper you’ve already built up and cut down on the clutter.
Just going through the piles that you've got lying around can be a good way of making yourself feel as if you've made some important steps in going paperless.
Recycle the paper you're getting rid of and move forward into the paperless frontier, uncluttered.
About the Author
Lori Green
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in pet care and beyond.
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