Meeting Prep – Don’t Print that Document

A study by Xerox showed that 45% of the office paper that is discarded was on the day it was printed – which begs the question, how necessary was it to print the document in the first place?

Next time you go to a meeting, consider whether everyone really needs a full copy of all the documents. If it is just an aid to be used during the meeting and then discarded, don’t print it. Not only does this waste paper, but often people will end up reading, or skimming, the document rather than listen to you talk. However, your audience still needs to be informed, so here are some alternatives to printing a copy for each person.

• Print one or two master copies that can be passed around.
• Develop a 1 page executive summary that highlights the main points
• E-mail the information out beforehand so people can be familiar with the information
• Use an overhead projector or white board to write up the main points or topics
• Download to a e-reader such as a Kindle or iPad