02 Mar Tips For Environmentally Friendly Records Management
As many organizations discover that good environmental practices are good business, recorded evidence of those practices grows. But for the professionals who manage those records, there are also opportunities to apply green practices to records management itself. This article provides tips on the green management of record media across all stages of their life cycle.
Records management prevents paper with limited value from consuming space and other natural resources that go into running an office. Copies, drafts and publications can be recycled back into productive business records can be destroyed, as long as retention schedules confirm that related legal and business requirements have expired.
Carefully designed file systems reduce the environmental footprint of records by allowing more records
to be stored on less space. Old, cumbersome filing cabinets with deep pull-out drawers should be replaced by
more efficient lateral filing systems. The environmental savings are even greater for large collections, which can benefit from high-density mobile filing systems.
Offsite storage warehouses allow even more file storage per square foot of land, but those benefits can be negated by shuttling the same files back and forth every day. Make sure your storage provider optimizes the productivity of each trip. “Near line storage” maximizes
the information output of each mile travelled via a regular schedule of bulk deliveries and pickups.
With consumer interest in the environment growing, the records management industry has introduced options that help save both money and the environment:
• Expandable folders and pockets that occupy minimal space while growing with the content.
• Reusable folders that allow easy removal of stickers and writing.
• Enclosures made primarily from recycled materials.
• Folder reinforcements made from biodegradable mylar.
For all the talk of a “paperless office,” most organizations’ paper output has actually increased. Records management promotes a “less paper office” by replacing parallel file folders across different offices with one centralized file. Document management systems prevent different versions from evolving and encourage recycling of printed copies in favour of an authoritative electronic original.
Is shredded paper recycled? Is the recycling operation efficient? Does it avoid high-risk chemicals? Are superseded equipment also recycled or donated to a non-profit organization? As long as all content is “data wiped” beyond recovery, your organization can extend the useful life of the raw materials and keep toxins out of fragile ecosystems.
MOVING FORWARD
Applying these tips depends on a total solution approach to managing recorded information. Just as an environmental protection program examines both short and long-term impacts on land, air and water, so too does an environmentally-friendly records management program control paper, electronic and other media across each phase of their life cycle.
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