10 Ways to Reduce Paper Use at Home Using Electronic Devices

Nov 02, 2023

There's a good chance that, whether you realise it or not, you’ve already been reducing paper use by simply following tech trends. However, there may be other ways to use even less paper. While it needs a bit of behavioural adjustment, it’s definitely worth doing — for the good of the planet and for your own convenience. Here are ten activities where you and other members of your household might still be using paper when it may not be necessary, and tips on how to change that.

Most newspapers and magazines publish the same news both in physical formats and via website. The news you get online is actually more frequently updated, and more articles are usually made available than in paper. And best yet, you can use your smartphone to read news for maximum convenience. You can even opt for some services that pool news from many sources in one convenient newsfeed.

Similarly, with books, you can opt for digital versions, and read them either on a dedicated device or even on your laptop or tablet screen.

Some other paper-based objects you can ditch are notepads and sticky notes. Your digital notes or to-do lists can be conveniently recorded on digital devices, and accessed across different devices, as long as they're connected to the internet and logged in to the same account. So, the notes you take on your laptop, for example, can be accessed and reviewed at any time on your smartphone or tablet, too.

If you prefer to take handwritten notes, convertible laptops such as the ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED or the detachable ASUS Vivobook 13 Slate OLED are particularly well-suited to the task: you can lie each device down flat on the table or desk and jot down notes or to-do lists with a stylus.

When you do groceries or other shopping, ditch the paper shopping list and record what you need to buy on your smartphone. It's not only more eco-friendly but also more convenient — especially when you have something compact that can be easily operated with one hand while you push the cart, such as the Zenfone 10.

Calendars are built into virtually all smart devices, such as laptops or smartphones — so it’s easy to take your calendars digital. Some are also available online and can sync between various devices. This way, you can share schedules and updates with others easily, plus get useful, well-timed reminders to ensure you don't forget anything important.

As smartphone cameras improve and digital photography becomes a standard, it actually takes effort to have your photos printed in a physical format — not to mention it uses up paper unnecessarily. When you switch to storing photos on a computer's hard disk or in the cloud, not only do you save space and become more eco-friendly, but you can also store more images than you could in a physical photo album. And if you prefer to have highlights of your most important moments in one place, you can simply create a digital photo album or create a special folder or even a slide presentation.

A lot of education takes place online, now. There seems to be an online course for every skill out there. Whether learning online or in a classroom, in many cases supporting education material is available online, allowing you to skip buying a textbook or taking handouts.

In many countries, much administrative work or activities like paying bills, setting up a bank account, or updating personal information can be done fully online. Along with the obvious benefits of saving time and convenience, this trend also saves a ton of paper. You can easily benefit from this trend by remembering to ask to receive your bills or other statements digitally, instead of receiving paper copies.

Many companies now allow online digital signatures to take the place of physical signatures. By taking advantage of this option, you can skip the hassle of printing out or storing another physical document.

Today, it is possible to store a copy of your important documents in the cloud. This option means you don't have to deal with the clutter that stacks of paper documents can create, and your documents will be safe from physical damage. It's good to keep your docs in a couple of places — such as an external hard drive and in the cloud drive. Just remember to encrypt and password-protect your most sensitive documents. It's also useful to develop a habit of immediately scanning every document you receive on paper, so it doesn't get lost and becomes easier to locate.

Sometimes, a physical copy of a document may be necessary. When you need to print something, there are ways you can make that a more eco-friendly activity. Start by making sure you print two-sided — as it will cut down paper usage by half. When you print out learning materials or similar items, you can try to fit more than one page on a single sheet.

By making some of the adjustments listed above, you can contribute to helping ensure a greener future without much effort. At the same time, you should be able to reduce some of your household costs and make your daily activities more convenient in the process. While it may be a bit of an adjustment in the beginning, you are nearly guaranteed to benefit largely from reducing the amount of paper you use — and the planet will benefit, too!

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