Real estate, medical transcription, court reporting, and tax filing have traditionally been "non-green" industries.

Reams of paper go towards filing complex legal documents that require a "wet" signature like contracts and mortgages. In the medical business, all United States facilities will be transitioning to electronic management, but I'm sure you've seen the hundreds or even thousands of paper folders in the front office at smaller clinics. Court reporting is traditionally a job that requires a "paper trail" with the transcription of the trial as well as exhibits and documentation. Tax time usually requires photocopies, faxes, and printed versions of filings.

How can we green up these industries?

Modern companies have an information management plan in place and are continuously evolving with the space-age technology around us: better capacity and storage means an easier way for professionals in all industries to sort, catalog, file, and store information. A CD-ROM, a web-based video, or a slideshow is so much easier to access than a heavy stack of paper, a bulky A/V setup, or a clunky posterboard presentation.

Electronic versions of files (such as in PDF, TXT, or HTML) as well as web-based authorization, fax-via-e-mail, video files, and webforms make the difference.

• Some escrow and title companies offer e-tracking and PDF versions of files.
   
• Medical professionals can, with training, switch easily to working on computer terminals in the exam room, instead of paper folders
   
• Huseby, a North Carolina based court reporter firm, offers "Go Green!" packages with e-transcriptions, condensed hardcopies, CD versions, and web access to videos and files related to the deposition and hearing.
   
• Your tax professional may accept scans of common documents like real estate and W-2 forms.

I predict we'll see more respect for -- and reliance on -- the green movement in the coming years, as people appreciate the convenience, search functionality, and automation of using electronic versions.

When we reduce our use of natural materials, resuse items as much as possible, and encourage recycling, we leave behind a better planet for the next generations. We also benefit from better searching and filing, and more intuitive ways to cross-reference disparate pieces of information.

If you work in an industry that still relies on printed and stored version of documents solely in paper, I urge you to do some additional research. Come up with three additional ways to save money, time, energy, and raw materials by encouraging non-paper storage and filing, and your team will benefit from the long-term savings (and ease of use) of these alternate systems.

Photo by Aunt Owwee