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Electronic Signatures & the Environment

Need Another Reason to Go Paperless? Read (don't print) this.

Few would deny the compelling business benefits of going paperless, such as reduced costs, greater efficiency and, ultimately, increased revenue.

What may not be as obvious is the potential boost to your organization's corporate image. Reducing paper in your business operations can strengthen your organization's environmental policy, and e-signatures can make it happen.

In addition to savings of thousands or even millions of dollars, reducing paper can provide you with another 'win' on the environmental front - making any e-signature initiative a wise investment.1

Leaders in Operational Efficiency & Paper Reduction

By far the most significant contributor to landfill, paper and paperboard made up 34.2 percent of the US' material solid waste in 2005, with only 50 percent of total used paper being recycled.2

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s WasteWise Program has recognized many organizations in addition to Bank of America, a well-known leader in reducing virgin paper and overall paper consumption. BoA surpassed its goal of reducing its paper consumption by over 25 percent in three years, in part by introducing online forms, and continues to expand its environmental leadership role.3

Last year, Verizon saved more than 400 tons of paper, or about 6,300 trees, as a result of 6 million customers managing their phone accounts online.4 Verizon's environmental initiatives have earned it the EPA's WasteWise Very Large Business Partner of the Year Award5 and recognition by the National Recycling Coalition Award.6

Bell Atlantic saved 29 tons of paper and more than $60,000 by expanding its use of electronic purchasing orders and invoices.7 AT&T saves 6 million pages, or 520 trees, per year as a result of providing employee services online via intranet.8

These organizations demonstrate that bringing processes online can be good for business and the environment.

E-signatures not only reduce the amount of paper a company produces; they eliminate the need to physically route documents over long distances.

Some customer-facing activities, such as sending out disclosures and forms for review and signing, not only cost companies thousands of dollars in delivery fees; they often do not yield results because the customer fails to return them. Besides causing delays and compromising customer satisfaction, this practice is a waste of company and natural resources.

The ground freight industry alone produces over 385 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. By 2012, that number is expected to climb by 25 percent.9 Overnight delivery of business documents represents a substantial part of this impact, and is easily avoided with e-signatures.

Organizations may take their cue from companies like BCE, which slashed the number of paper bills it sent out to customers in 2006, allowing it to eliminate 516 tons of greenhouse gas emissions - enough energy to heat 1,018 households.10

It's easy being green, with e-signatures

The goal of eliminating paper from business processes, in most cases, is already half done. Reports, contracts, memos and virtually all office documents today are created electronically. Why not keep them electronic? Because many processes require a signature.

Silanis e-signatures allow organizations to take their processes online while ensuring their business records are compliant and legally enforceable. They also securely associate comprehensive electronic evidence with the signed record, and prevent signed records from being modified without detection.

A leading real-estate financial services company, introduced electronic signatures in 2000 as part of an enterprise paperless initiative. This move helped the industry leader to slash paper spending by one-third, and reduce cost-per-loan services to less than one-half the industry average. Even more importantly, it led to portfolio growth of $35 billion without the addition of new staff. Ultimately, it boosted their competitiveness.

By reducing your organization's dependence on that all-important wet-ink signature, you can minimize the environmental impact of doing business. And by doing so, you can enhance your company's reputation for being environmentally conscious.

A worthwhile venture, when one considers that a growing majority of consumers prefer environmentally responsible brands, from companies whose business practices are safe for the environment.11

As much as 83 percent of Americans now say global warming is a "serious" problem, up from 70 percent in 2004. According to a Yale study, the public "increasingly wants business to solve environmental problems. . . They expect companies to step up and address climate change and other concerns."12

So, if your organization is considering electronic signatures as a way to improve efficiency, consider the positive impact on the environment, as well. With e-signatures, you can affect more than just your own organization.

  1. Business Guide to Paper Reduction. Heather Sarantis. Forest Ethics, 2002.
  2. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2005. EPA October 2006.
  3. Business Guide to Paper Reduction. Heather Sarantis. Forest Ethics, 2002.
  4. Verizon press release, "Verizon Home Customers Get Simple, Worry-Free Option for Recurring, Monthly Card Payments for Calling, Internet and Entertainment," April 26, 2007.
  5. www.verizon.com
  6. Business for Social Responsibility Web site www.bsr.org
  7. EPA WasteWise Sixth-Year Progress Report. 2000.
  8. AT&T Environment, Health & Safety Report Article, February 2001.
  9. SmartWay Transport Partnership Facts & Figures. Office of Transportation & Air Quality, 2004.
  10. www.bce.ca
  11. Green Purchasing: The Impact of Environmental Legislation and Heightened Awareness on the Procurement World. By David Fertal. Ariba Supply Watch, Q3 2006.
  12. Yale Center for Environmental Research and Policy press release, "Sea Change in Public Attitudes Toward Global Warming Emerges: Climate Change Seen as Big a Threat as Terrorism, March 12, 2007.