NHS saves 20,000 trees by switching copier paper

The NHS Supply Chain has revealed that more than 200 NHS trusts have made huge environmental savings by simply switching their copier paper.

The move from A4 virgin fibre copier paper to A4 recycled paper last year saved the equivalent of: watching 85,503 hours of a plasma TV in energy; filling 161 Olympic size swimming pools with water; felling 20,000 trees in wood; and travelling 10 times around the world in an aeroplane in Co2.

The move has also driven financial savings to the NHS. By channelling national commitment, reducing variety from two lines of paper (70gsm and 80gsm) to one (80gsm) and changing from virgin to recycled paper, £256,000 has been saved in the first year with a cost avoidance to the NHS of £1,410,000.

Martin Toomey, head of Sustainability for the NHS Supply Chain, said: “A simple switch from recycled paper has made a big difference to the environmental footprint of NHS trusts. Procurement accounts for 58 per cent of the NHS’s total carbon footprint so there’s huge potential to effect change and help the NHS to become a low anchor institution. We want to use the purchasing power of the NHS more assertively to drive change in supply chains and embed sustainability within the procurement process.”