We saw some interesting news this week about computer game publisher Ubisoft’s decision to stop producing printed manuals for its games. Ubisoft says the decision was made for environmental reasons and produces some compelling stats to show how much this decision will impact the planet.

Apparently one ton of paper used for the creation of game manuals used two tons of wood from 13 trees, enough energy to heat an average home for a year, 13,000 gallons of wastewater and 6,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.
It’s nice to see companies thinking seriously about their printing and whether it’s really necessary; Ubisoft plans to incorporate more instructions into the games themselves instead.

Of course the environmental side of things is a nice message, but its not hard to imagine the cost savings Ubisoft will be enjoying as well.

We think a lot of companies can follow Ubisoft’s lead and while not necessarily eliminate printing altogether certainly reduce its volume – and the cost. The first step is an audit of how much printing you currently do; you’re likely to be surprised by just how much of it there is, how much goes straight in the bin and how much it costs you.