Less Paper, More Forests: Digitalization as an Ally of the Environment
June, World Environment Month, invites us to reflect on our practices and their impact on the planet. In this context, digitalization is emerging as a key tool for reducing companies’ ecological footprint.
Paper production involves a significant consumption of natural resources. To produce one ton of paper, between 7,000 and 20,000 liters of water are required, depending on the type of paper. Furthermore, it is estimated that each ton of paper generates approximately 942 kilos of CO₂ emissions and the felling of up to 24 trees. These eloquent data on the impact on the environment and the growing scarcity of resources highlight the importance of a “zero-paper” policy, that is, replacing physical document flows with technological tools that allow for their management, but in a completely digital format.
The transition to this model optimizes corporate resources and consolidates the urgent need to preserve natural resources as an ethical imperative. It is also part of Corporate Social Responsibility, understood as the voluntary commitment of companies to sustainable development, taking responsibility for their economic, social, and environmental impact on the communities where they operate.
In this scenario, digitalization emerges as a fundamental tool for organizations committed to the future of the planet. Despapeliza, a Chilean company with a presence in Latin America and the United States and specializing in intelligent document automation solutions, has experience where digitalization has saved up to 10 million liters of water. Its general manager, Rodrigo Mortara, highlights the positive impact of automation: “As a reference, we have managed, on average, 90,000 documents per month, which contributes to a saving of more than 1.5 million liters of water. Some of our clients have reduced tons of paper use, equivalent to a saving of more than 50,000 liters of water per client,” he emphasizes. He also explains that a legal document, three to four pages long, requires up to 15 or 20 times the water a human consumes daily.
Some contributions include reducing paper and wood consumption (less tree felling), as well as reducing the environmental footprint associated with paper production in terms of energy and water. It also reduces the carbon footprint of document transport and eliminates waste that ends up in landfills. It’s worth noting that, according to estimates, 70% of office waste is paper.
Paper production has an alarming environmental impact that extends beyond water consumption and is a cause of global deforestation. Each year, 419.1 million tons of paper and cardboard are produced. One ton of paper requires between 2 and 3.5 tons of wood (28 to 49 trees). The company Despapeliza has prevented the loss of 144,000 trees thanks to its projects in more than 100 companies.