| As defined in wikipedia, webform "allows a | | | | many trees can be saved by switching from |
| user to enter data that is, typically, sent | | | | paper forms to web forms isn't an issue. No |
| to a server for processing and to mimic the | | | | one can deny that the environmental impact of |
| usage of paper forms." By it's very | | | | corporations and government switching from |
| definition a web form can help to improve the | | | | printed forms to online web forms would be |
| environment. | | | | significant. |
| | | | |
| How much paper can be made from a tree? Or, | | | | Therefore, all corporations and government |
| how many trees are required to make a certain | | | | should be encouraged to use web forms |
| amount of paper? It's very difficult to | | | | wherever possible instead of paper forms. |
| answer these questions directly and the best | | | | Imagine the savings that would result if |
| that can be obtained are ballpark estimates. | | | | every year hundreds of millions of government |
| In the 1970s a report by the Conservatree | | | | forms were converted to web forms. The |
| estimated that a ton of newsprint paper saves | | | | environmental impact would be astronomic. |
| 17 trees. This is a rough estimate. News | | | | |
| paper isn't made of the same tree materials | | | | If all corporations joined the drive to move |
| that office paper is made of. | | | | to a "paperless" society and stored all their |
| | | | information in electronic format as well as |
| It's difficult to make exact calculations on | | | | keeping all records in electronic format then |
| converting trees to paper as paper is made | | | | hundreds of millions more sheets of paper |
| from a mix of trees. Some are hardwood, | | | | would be conserved each year. Wherever |
| others are softwood. Some are young trees | | | | possible corporations should issue each other |
| while others are old growth. Some are wide | | | | web invoice forms instead of paper forms. All |
| trees while others are skinny trees. Some | | | | accounting records should be stored in |
| paper is made from sawdust. | | | | electronic format. Services such as can help |
| | | | save the environment if used by government |
| Whether or not we can calculate exactly how | | | | and businesses. |