Summary
The table below collects the paper volumes and costs from the other pages in this area so that they can be compared and summed. Referring to paper in 'tons' is usually only done by paper producers and by recyclers, but it is a handy way to track it when trying to change paper use. One advantage is that the cost per ton figures are large enough to get the attention of other people, and helps emphasize that the goal is to have an effect large enough to be measureable in tons.
Clever, Inc., Summary of Paper Use and Costs
| Tons | Total Costs | Paper Costs | Cost per ton | |
| Paper Purchase | 5.18 | $6,590 | $6,590 | $1,270 |
| Internal Copying | 2.27 | $14,670 | $2,270 | $6,460 |
| Outside Copying | 0.78 | $13,500 | $1,680 | $17,310 |
| Printers | 1.74 | $12,080 | $1,680 | $6,940 |
| Fax Machines | 0.20 | $8,800 | $200 | $44,000 |
| 1.10 | $8,000 | $7,000 | ||
| Storage | ||||
| Disposal | 5.18 | $750 | $140 | |
| Total | $57,190 | $6,590 | $11,040 |
Note that the paper purchase identified here is 5.18 tons, compared to 4.99 tons used in the imaging equiment. Some paper inevitably gets damaged before being used, may be taken home by employees, or otherwise is not used as anticipated, or the inventory of paper may be different at the beginning than the end of the year. So, the purchase and use should be expected to be somewhat different, but not wildly so. Nevertheless, these data present a good overall picture of paper use patterns within the company.
Remember, if you come up with interesting results or observations, please send them to us.
One estimate (Dataquest, 1994) is that copiers will cost the U.S. over $14 billion
in 1998 (in sales and service, but not for paper or electricity).
At 2 million tons per year of copy paper, this would be $7,000 per ton,
and at a 26% average duplexing rate, this is 2.5 cents per image.
