44:
269:
temporary productivity losses when converting to a paperless office are also a factor, as are government regulations, industry standards, legal requirements, and business policies which may also slow down the change. Businesses may encounter technological difficulties such as file format compatibility, longevity of digital documents, system stability, and employees and clients not having appropriate technological skills.
247:
in the United States provided that a document cannot be rejected on the basis of an electronic signature and required all companies to accept digital signatures on documents. Many document management systems include the ability to read documents via optical character recognition and use that data
268:
A major difficulty in "going paperless" is that much of a business's communication is with other businesses and individuals, as opposed to just being internal. Electronic communication requires both the sender and the recipient to have easy access to appropriate software and hardware. Costs and
85:
made it much easier to reproduce documents in bulk, causing the worldwide use of office paper to more than double from 1980 to 2000. This was attributed to the increased ease of document production and widespread use of electronic communication, which resulted in users receiving large numbers of
272:
For these reasons, while there may be a reduction of paper, some uses of paper will likely remain indefinitely. However, a 2015 questionnaire suggested that nearly half of small/medium-sized businesses believed they were or could go paperless by the end of that year.
210:
to enable the production, transmission, and storage of information. The industry that produces these components is one of the least sustainable and most environmentally damaging sectors in the world. The process of manufacturing electronic hardware involves the
248:
within the document management system's framework. While this technology is essential to achieving a paperless office it does not address the processes that generate paper in the first place.
31:. Proponents claim that "going paperless" can save money, boost productivity, save space, make documentation and information sharing easier, keep personal information more secure, and
27:) is a work environment in which the use of paper is eliminated or greatly reduced. This is done by converting documents and other papers into digital form, a process known as
260:
to take proper care of those documents. Paperless office systems are easier to secure than traditional filing cabinets, and can track individual accesses to each document.
319:
89:
Since about 2000, at least in the US, the use of office paper has leveled off and is now decreasing, which has been attributed to a generation shift. According to the
244:
153:). Waste water discharged from pulp and paper mills outside of North America may contain solids, nutrients, and dissolved organic matter that are classified as
596:
256:
As awareness of identity theft and data breaches became more widespread, new laws and regulations were enacted, requiring companies that manage or store
870:
97:
614:
129:
can help reduce the environmental impact of paper. Some paper production outside of North
America may lead to air pollution with the release of
90:
554:
417:
582:
518:
388:
382:
184:
recycled paper pulp results in a waste slurry, sometimes weighing 22% of the weight of the recycled wastepaper, which may go to
783:
118:
180:
and non-renewable oils, although standards for the amount of heavy metals in ink have been set by some regulatory bodies.
532:
257:
77:. While the prediction of a PC on every desk was remarkably prophetic, the "paperless office" was not. Improvements in
723:
69:
article. The idea was that office automation would make paper redundant for routine tasks such as record-keeping and
670:
Sellen, A. J., & Harper, R. H. R. (2003). The myth of the paperless office. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
464:
407:
Sellen, A. J., & Harper, R. H. R. (2003). The myth of the paperless office. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press
486:
289:
112:
32:
93:, the average office worker generates approximately two pounds of paper and paperboard products each day.
875:
360:
568:
776:
294:
342:
625:
173:
680:
839:
711:
122:
755:
283:
177:
880:
738:
243:
with databases, typed letters and faxes with email, and reference books with the internet. The
103:
Some argue that paper will always have a place because it affords different uses than screens.
769:
59:. It was facilitated by the popularization of video display computer terminals like the 1964
239:
The need for paper is eliminated by using online systems, such as replacing index cards and
865:
207:
56:
729:- discusses limitations of the paperless office, and the valuable role paper can play for
8:
719:
512:
203:
74:
730:
234:
197:
130:
78:
43:
361:"Wastes – Resource Conservation – Common Wastes & Materials – Paper Recycling"
834:
231:, which consume significant amounts of the electricity supply of a host country.
438:
885:
844:
216:
158:
146:
138:
859:
824:
819:
809:
715:
65:
35:. The concept can be extended to communications outside the office as well.
814:
224:
28:
804:
555:"The digital economy's environmental footprint is threatening the planet"
228:
82:
70:
493:
154:
126:
52:
16:
Office that uses digital files/documents and devices instead of paper
650:
418:"American Forest & Paper Association 2018 Sustainability Report"
157:. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus can cause or exacerbate
185:
181:
60:
240:
220:
63:. An early prediction of the paperless office was made in a 1975
651:"E-Office: An Eco-friendly Advent of Cloud Computing Technology"
597:"Why Ireland's data centre boom is complicating climate efforts"
583:"Smartphones Are Killing The Planet Faster Than Anyone Expected"
263:
235:
Eliminating paper via automation and electronic forms automation
792:
761:
439:"American Forest & Paper Association Sustainability Report"
299:
212:
96:
The term "The
Paperless Office" was first used in commerce by
681:"Nearly Half of Businesses are or could go Paperless in 2015"
569:"Digital Technologies Are Part of the Climate Change Problem"
169:
705:
165:
73:, and it came to prominence with the introduction of the
223:
on an industrial scale. The transmission and storage of
191:
121:
Sustainability Report, paper manufacturing decreased
467:. New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
706:Sellen, Abigail J.; Harper, Richard H. R. (2001),
125:by 20% in an eleven-year period. Measures such as
100:, an automated office equipment company, in 1978.
343:"Technological comebacks: Not dead, just resting"
251:
857:
172:are very expensive and use environment-damaging
106:
777:
264:Difficulties in adopting the paperless office
91:United States Environmental Protection Agency
384:The Paperless Office Trademark Registration
337:
335:
333:
784:
770:
756:The Paper Free Office – dream or reality?
608:
606:
535:. US Department of Energy. September 2006
389:United States Patent and Trademark Office
202:A paperless work environment requires an
736:
330:
42:
443:American Forest & Paper Association
425:American Forest & Paper Association
119:American Forest & Paper Association
86:documents that were often printed out.
858:
612:
603:
517:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
871:History of human–computer interaction
765:
557:. The Conversation. 8 December 2019.
363:. US Environmental Protection Agency
55:'s slogan, intended to describe the
737:Gladwell, Malcolm (25 March 2002),
258:personally identifiable information
192:Environmental impact of electronics
13:
699:
648:
14:
897:
749:
613:Walker, Richard (7 August 2009),
791:
714:, Massachusetts, United States:
708:The Myth of the Paperless Office
615:"Achieving The Paperless Office"
673:
664:
642:
589:
575:
561:
547:
525:
599:. Irish Times. 6 January 2020.
585:. Fast Company. 27 March 2018.
479:
457:
431:
410:
401:
375:
353:
312:
252:Securing and tracing documents
1:
571:. ICTworks. 20 February 2020.
305:
290:Environmental impact of paper
113:Environmental impact of paper
107:Environmental impact of paper
38:
7:
533:"Recycling Paper and Glass"
465:"Air Pollutants of Concern"
326:(2387): 48–70, 30 June 1975
276:
10:
902:
739:"The Social Life of Paper"
320:"The Office of the Future"
295:Document management system
195:
174:volatile organic compounds
110:
51:The paperless world was a
800:
840:Small office/home office
758:AIIM Market Intelligence
622:Efficient Technology Inc
284:Paperwork Reduction Act
161:of fresh water bodies.
123:greenhouse gas emission
219:and the production of
117:According to the 2018
48:
208:electronic components
46:
57:office of the future
33:help the environment
631:on 23 December 2018
876:Waste minimisation
245:E-Sign Act of 2000
227:is facilitated by
49:
853:
852:
731:knowledge workers
649:Hashmi, Ruheena.
75:personal computer
25:paper-free office
893:
830:Paperless office
786:
779:
772:
763:
762:
745:
728:
693:
692:
690:
688:
683:. margolis.co.uk
677:
671:
668:
662:
661:
659:
657:
646:
640:
639:
638:
636:
630:
624:, archived from
619:
610:
601:
600:
593:
587:
586:
579:
573:
572:
565:
559:
558:
551:
545:
544:
542:
540:
529:
523:
522:
516:
508:
506:
504:
498:
492:. Archived from
491:
483:
477:
476:
474:
472:
461:
455:
454:
452:
450:
435:
429:
428:
422:
414:
408:
405:
399:
398:
397:
395:
379:
373:
372:
370:
368:
357:
351:
350:
349:, 9 October 2008
339:
328:
327:
316:
198:Electronic waste
131:nitrogen dioxide
21:paperless office
901:
900:
896:
895:
894:
892:
891:
890:
856:
855:
854:
849:
835:Serviced office
796:
790:
752:
726:
702:
700:Further reading
697:
696:
686:
684:
679:
678:
674:
669:
665:
655:
653:
647:
643:
634:
632:
628:
617:
611:
604:
595:
594:
590:
581:
580:
576:
567:
566:
562:
553:
552:
548:
538:
536:
531:
530:
526:
510:
509:
502:
500:
496:
489:
487:"Archived copy"
485:
484:
480:
470:
468:
463:
462:
458:
448:
446:
437:
436:
432:
420:
416:
415:
411:
406:
402:
393:
391:
381:
380:
376:
366:
364:
359:
358:
354:
341:
340:
331:
318:
317:
313:
308:
279:
266:
254:
237:
217:precious metals
200:
194:
152:
144:
136:
115:
109:
41:
17:
12:
11:
5:
899:
889:
888:
883:
878:
873:
868:
851:
850:
848:
847:
845:Virtual office
842:
837:
832:
827:
822:
817:
812:
807:
801:
798:
797:
789:
788:
781:
774:
766:
760:
759:
751:
750:External links
748:
747:
746:
743:The New Yorker
734:
724:
701:
698:
695:
694:
672:
663:
641:
602:
588:
574:
560:
546:
524:
478:
456:
430:
409:
400:
374:
352:
329:
310:
309:
307:
304:
303:
302:
297:
292:
287:
278:
275:
265:
262:
253:
250:
236:
233:
204:infrastructure
196:Main article:
193:
190:
159:eutrophication
150:
147:carbon dioxide
142:
139:sulfur dioxide
134:
111:Main article:
108:
105:
98:Micronet, Inc.
40:
37:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
898:
887:
884:
882:
881:Deforestation
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
863:
861:
846:
843:
841:
838:
836:
833:
831:
828:
826:
825:Mobile office
823:
821:
820:Middle office
818:
816:
813:
811:
810:Corner office
808:
806:
803:
802:
799:
794:
787:
782:
780:
775:
773:
768:
767:
764:
757:
754:
753:
744:
740:
735:
732:
727:
725:0-262-19464-3
721:
717:
716:The MIT Press
713:
709:
704:
703:
682:
676:
667:
652:
645:
627:
623:
616:
609:
607:
598:
592:
584:
578:
570:
564:
556:
550:
534:
528:
520:
514:
499:on 8 May 2007
495:
488:
482:
466:
460:
444:
440:
434:
426:
419:
413:
404:
390:
386:
385:
378:
362:
356:
348:
347:The Economist
344:
338:
336:
334:
325:
324:Business Week
321:
315:
311:
301:
298:
296:
293:
291:
288:
285:
281:
280:
274:
270:
261:
259:
249:
246:
242:
232:
230:
226:
222:
218:
214:
209:
205:
199:
189:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
162:
160:
156:
148:
140:
132:
128:
124:
120:
114:
104:
101:
99:
94:
92:
87:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
67:
66:Business Week
62:
58:
54:
45:
36:
34:
30:
26:
22:
829:
815:Front office
742:
707:
685:. Retrieved
675:
666:
654:. Retrieved
644:
633:, retrieved
626:the original
621:
591:
577:
563:
549:
537:. Retrieved
527:
501:. Retrieved
494:the original
481:
469:. Retrieved
459:
447:. Retrieved
442:
433:
424:
412:
403:
392:, retrieved
383:
377:
365:. Retrieved
355:
346:
323:
314:
271:
267:
255:
238:
229:data centers
225:digital data
201:
178:heavy metals
163:
116:
102:
95:
88:
83:photocopiers
64:
50:
47:The IBM 2260
29:digitization
24:
20:
18:
866:Office work
805:Back office
635:4 September
394:13 December
71:bookkeeping
860:Categories
539:30 October
471:26 January
367:26 January
306:References
213:extraction
155:pollutants
39:Definition
712:Cambridge
656:16 August
241:rolodexes
186:landfills
164:Printing
127:recycling
53:publicist
513:cite web
286:, (1980)
277:See also
182:Deinking
79:printers
61:IBM 2260
687:13 July
221:plastic
145:), and
793:Office
722:
503:27 May
445:. 2018
300:Backup
170:toners
886:Paper
795:types
629:(PDF)
618:(PDF)
497:(PDF)
490:(PDF)
449:1 May
421:(PDF)
282:U.S.
720:ISBN
689:2015
658:2016
637:2009
541:2007
519:link
505:2013
473:2013
451:2020
396:2015
369:2013
168:and
166:inks
81:and
23:(or
215:of
206:of
149:(CO
141:(SO
137:),
133:(NO
862::
741:,
718:,
710:,
620:,
605:^
515:}}
511:{{
441:.
423:.
387:,
345:,
332:^
322:,
188:.
176:,
19:A
785:e
778:t
771:v
733:.
691:.
660:.
543:.
521:)
507:.
475:.
453:.
427:.
371:.
151:2
143:2
135:2
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.