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One of the reasons that companies consider switching to green printing is reduced costs. However, can green printing really save you money? Indeed, when done properly, green printing can help you grow a better bottom line.

A Look into Your Office

If you take a look around your office, the idea of going green might seem a little intimidating. There is a good chance that you are swimming in a pile of paperwork, despite advancements in computer technology. Your employees continue to print out emails, files, and other paperwork. On average, an office worker uses as many as 50 sheets of copy paper on a given day! Sadly, much of this paperwork ends up lost in a pile or thrown into the trashcan minutes after printing. Half of office waste is paper.

The Cost of Paper

All of these pieces of paper come at a price. In addition to the cost of the purchasing the paper in the first place, as well as the expenses of printing on the paper, the disposal and/or recycling of the paper comes at a cost as well. Having so much paperwork floating around the office can have payroll costs due to the inherent inefficiencies. There is also the cost of storing paper files, which can take up a significant amount of room, to keep on hand for the government-mandated amounts of time.

For companies that are trying to grow a greener image, paper comes at an additional cost as well. In order to offset the amount of paper that they use, and subsequently the amount of forests that they destroy, corporate businesses have to look for other ways to offset their carbon footprint.

Saving Costs by Going Green

When companies decide to take advantage of green printing, they are making an effort to save costs. First and foremost, these companies are limiting their environmental impact. Since many green printing companies use recycled paper, the amount of virgin timber that is needed is reduced, and therefore, fewer forests are cut. In addition, the earth-friendly inks that are used make the paper easier to recycle, saving money and limiting pollution at the same time.

Overall, the production of recycled paper is more cost effective since it requires less energy, and therefore, it can be cheaper to purchase. And in some cities, companies can actually make money by recycling the office paper that they use on a daily basis.

Of course an even more cost effective, not to mention greener, method is to strive for a paperless office. Or, if paperless is not possible, putting into place a "think before you print" policy will also help reduce costs. This will effectively cut down on the amount of paper that is used (and later tossed) as much as possible, saving your company money in paper costs and disposal fees.

When you do have to print, using greener printing practices is also cost effective. Use both sides of the paper, limit large areas of ink, and reduce your margins. Not only will you have to purchase less paper for your projects, but you will also make the paper easier to recycle.

Going green is not only good for the environment, but it is good for your pocketbook as well.