Paper costing businesses money

Wasteful printing of electronically stored documents could be costing small firms dear, a business group has said.

The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has highlighted a recent report from Envirowise, the government-sponsored body, which revealed that over a half of office workers concede that they print off documents unnecessarily.

It is estimated that UK businesses produce on average some 120 billion pieces of paper every year.

The FPB argued that a more watchful policy on paper printing could save small businesses vital costs.

James Miller, the FPB’s environmental advisor, commented: “A reduction in waste means spending less money. The problem is that smaller businesses don’t know where to start or who to turn to for help. In many cases, all they require is better access to information.”