In the 1940’s recycling was critical to the war effort. Huge landfills became popular and the need to recycle became apparent to most folks. Plastic, metals and even paper were sent off to recycling centers to conserve our resources. It spawned the first group of ecologists, and they became very active. Not withstanding these efforts, as our population grew with the baby boomer generation, more and more trees were cut down just for paper. It was not until the 70’s and 80’s did ecologists start proclaiming the need for further conservation as forests throughout the world were disappearing at alarming rates.
No coincidence that new technologies emerged via the computer and digital age that could stem the tide of paper usage. E-mail, text messaging, scanners all contributed to a declining need for paper. Unless you have been living under a rock, you've seen the boom of electronic book readers like the Kindle and Nook. Book publishing in the US topped $28 billion last year but at the same time the digital share of the market hovers around 10% or almost $3 billion. That is OVER 600 million fewer paper books being printed these days. Now add to that recent innovations like Smart phones that allow you to scan your boarding pass while flying, read barcodes at stores for coupons, the download of magazines, newspapers and most periodicals, etc.
As a society it would 'appear' that we are going paperless. That said, it is certainly interesting to go into most any Lawyer, Accounting, Doctor or Dentist office and see walls of paper files. This has been the standard for these practices BUT that will be changing rapidly in the next 5 to 10 years. Electronic document management programs like Scan123 are becoming the new standard. They not only offer the ecological benefits and help you comply with federal and state mandates dealing with sensitive personal data, but create significant efficiencies and cost savings. That's what I call a 'win / win' situation!
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