Have you tried it? Believe me: if typing quickly and well on a smartphone seems uncomfortable, frustrating, impossible, or a task only within the reach of young people, it is simply because you have not bothered to practice it enough. A change as apparently simple as switching from paper to smartphone in a company can have an enormous influence on that company's attitude towards innovation” – Enrique Dans, Living in the Future, 2019.
Wait, are you suggesting I stop taking notes on paper notebooks and start doing it on my cell phone or computer? Exactly.
But what does that have to do with the title of this text? That's what I'm here to tell you.
The process to generate paper (cellulose) considers 3 basic inputs: water, electricity and wood , which are used throughout 5 stages of the life cycle of the famous office paper: trees are cut down, to later create cellulose and then the paper, which is transported to different suppliers, where we go to buy it and after giving it only one use, we throw it away, where it is transformed into carbon dioxide or methane.
Nowadays, in our daily work we can find cellulose mainly in two forms: printing paper and notebooks for taking notes. But what is the environmental impact of its use?
To answer this, let's take a case in point: at Simon of Cyrene we have approxi philippines mobile number mately 145 collaborators, of which we can assume that 85% use at least 4 notebooks per year. This is equivalent to a total use of 147.9 reams of paper per year , which translates to:
436 kgCO2 (kilograms of carbon dioxide) generated annually to meet the demand for reams of paper of the people of Simon of Cyrene.
739,500 liters of water used for paper production that the people of Simon of Cyrene use annually.
Considering the average annual KgCO2 emissions of the number of people who use notebooks, it is found that the emissions associated with the production of the paper they use are similar to 0.14% of the total KgCO2 emissions they produce annually. Whereas, if we consider the liters of water required in the production of the paper they use, it is equivalent to 7.83% of the annual water consumption of this group of people.
Interesting results, aren't they? If we think about the water shortage that exists in Chile, these figures are quite alarming, considering the amount of water per person associated with the life cycle of the paper used just for you to take notes.
Instead, what if all these people started taking notes on their computers or through applications, such as Windows OneNote? It wouldn't involve any major energy or water costs, since you'd be using it while it was on, thereby significantly reducing your environmental impact.
It is fascinating how changing this small habit is not only a sustainable practice for the company, but also an efficient and productive personal practice, allowing:
Stop relying on a single object to hold your notes by being able to find your notes on any internet-enabled device using OneNote.
Reduce the time spent taking notes.
Quick to find notes, given the organization provided by OneNote or other applications.
Permanently eliminate the need to carry around complementary tools, such as a highlighter, white-out or liquid paper, among others.
Reading this may make you interested and even motivated to start implementing this practice, which is great and I encourage you to do it! But, if as the days go by you start to have thoughts doubting your ability to put this into practice, with excuses like “I don’t know how to do it”, “I don’t have time” or simply laziness overcomes your motivation to change habits, well I say go for it! It’s worth it! Just as you started recycling bottles and/or cans at home, taking cloth bags to the supermarket and even using your cell phone to do an endless number of daily actions, you can also start taking notes from your computer or favorite device.
The speed of technological progress demands certain attitudes and skills to be able to take advantage of it without feeling disadvantaged, and that attitude needs to be trained and educated, and what better way to start doing this than with the motivation of reducing your impact on the drought that Chile is experiencing, in a concrete way and without dying in the attempt.
Jose Francisco Barias