Suppose you have been with the EnviroJunkies family from the start. In that case, many of you understand that one of our primary goals is to share and promote ways for our readers and followers to live a more sustainable life. So what better way to do that than to share ways to go paperless.
“Approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S.“
“Americans use 85,000,000 tons of paper a year; about 680 pounds per person.”
“The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year. Most are packaging and junk mail.”
https://www.usi.edu/recycle/paper-recycling-facts/#:~:text=Approximately%201%20billion%20trees%20worth,is%20packaging%20and%20junk%20mail.
Things You Need to Live a Paperless Lifestyle
Converting to a paperless lifestyle is, of course, great for the environment. Still, some things need to be taken into consideration before you jump right in. For starters, starting a paperless lifestyle means that you need a couple of electronics and devices that you might not already have. Number one, you need some form of a scanner. Most smart phones have scanning apps that allow you to scan documents, however, if your phone doesn’t allow you to scan documents, you will need to purchase some form of a scanner to allow you to make copies of important documents that you might be throwing away. Number two, you need a computer: a laptop or a desktop works with enough memory that allows you to store your scanned documents. Your computer will also be essential in going paperless as you can convert to receive catalogs, subscriptions, or billing information via email. Finally, I wanted to mention that it isn’t necessary but is still really cool to have, is some form of iPad or tablet. Having a tablet allows you to take handwritten notes and do almost all the same things your computer does, but on a smaller, more accessible, and easy to use just about everywhere device. Snapshots of my favorite gadgets I use and highly recommend are below if you want to see what I use to live a paperless life!
Author’s Choices for a Paperless Lifestyle
iPhone 11 ProMax 256 GB
I use my iPhone to answer emails, make electronic billing/payments. I also use my phone to scan important documents.
Apple MacBook Pro 15′ (2017) 500 GB
I use my MacBook for all of my school work. I type my notes on it, write papers, answer emails and store my scanned documents on here, etc.
iPad Pro 11′ (2020) 256 GB
I use my iPad for note-taking (I also purchased the 2nd Generation iPad Pencil; however, you can use any form of stylus found just about anywhere if you wanted a cheaper option), I buy my books on my iPad so that I can read electronic copies, I answer emails, store scanned documents on here, etc.
Converting to the Paperless Lifestyle
(Once the Electronics and Devices are Purchased)
| What I need to get rid off | How I get rid of it |
| Mailed Catalogs | Call or email your subscription and learn about ways to receive promotions via email or text. |
| Printed Documents | All the documents that you have filed all around your living area scan them and upload them into your computer. |
| Paper/Mailing Billing | Sign up for electronic billing; most companies allow for payments to be made via email, phone, or online. |
| Paper Subscriptions (Magazines, books, etc) | Subscribe to digital subscriptions that you can read via phone, tablet, or computer |
| Notebooks | Instead, type up your notes on your electronic devices or download note-taking apps that allow you to write stuff down on your device |
Once everything is scanned, make sure you recycle all of the papers you are throwing out and tag us @envirojunkiess on Twitter or @envirojunkies on Instagram! We would love to see your new lifestyle