Question of the Week: How green should accountants be?

For any accountants who DO want to be greener (of which I am one), I would thoroughly recommend the printing software offered by Software Partners (www.software-partners.co.uk). It's one of the best software packages I've ever bought. I've had it for years now.

It's not expensive and is incredibly easy to use. It enables you to print multiple pages to a page, amongst many other features (like letterhead templates). I use it to print 4 tax return pages to a page, as the paper copy is hardly ever needed, the original being on the computer. You can also delete that last e-mail page that has nothing on but a disclaimer etc. Brilliant, and I have reduced my paper consumption considerably.

They also do a PDF package, which is great, and I have recently taken their anti-virus/firewall package, which I find the best I've used.

I don't work for them (!), or even know them, but I think it's good to share and praise products that we've found useful.

if they are hardly ever used at all then why print them off at all?

think again!

think of all those buildings, offices, factories, houses built and being built. with all those high ceilings. twice the heat being used to heat the ceilings where nobody is.

think of the space saved and materials - made with resourced energy - if all ceilings were 8' high and the space and materials wasted.

think of the savings if another floor filled the excess space.

think of the extra ground saved from unecessary building to be able to grow more energy efficient tomatoes.

personal fulfilment as well.

incentive - neighbourhood tomato growers perpetual cup.

think about it !

tomato ted.

And PDF factory

Both realy do help save money, when you really feel you have to print

And help archiving effectively when you don't

You'll get a payback in months, at most

Richard Murphy

Yes, Alastair, an interesting point. I guess it's the part of me that worries that anything on a computer is vulnerable and if it's on paper somewhere it will survive, that's all!

the equation goes further than accepted.

spring is nearly here and all good people willbe planning the next 12 months larder. conside the humble tomatoe. plant them in the near future.

think of the environmental cost of the fertiliser - compare with the compast heap of last years garden andkitchen waste.

think of the environmental cost of buying the plants as opposed to growing from seed - commercial greenhouses use a phenomenal amount of heat.

think of the environmental cost of the storage, packaging materials and transportation from all parts of the world to the supermarket and thence to your kitchen table.

think of all those who are involved in the above and the environmental cost of the tomatoes they eat.

add it up

equate nationally.

think about it - quite phenomenal.

econonists go home!

sure you are not alone in this, but what would you do if you sufferred a fire and your paper records were lost?