The practice of law involves the use and disposal of huge amounts of resources, especially paper and paper products.  A poll of four of Seattle’s larger law firms found that their combined annual consumption of paper could be stacked into a tower 14,770 feet tall.  This is 15 times the height of Seattle’s Columbia Tower and higher than Mount Rainier.[1]

Law firms can take easy steps in their every day operations to reduce their footprint.  Some of these opportunities include the following.

• Ensure copiers/printer machines are defaulted to double-side print and have scan-to-email and e-faxing functions

• Recycle food waste from your firm’s cafeteria

• Encourage alternative forms of commuting to reduce SOV travel.  These could include incentives for: carpooling, using public buses or trains, walking, and biking

• Reduce business travel by conducting meetings using web-based conferencing systems

• Consider forming a green team to identify actions appropriate for your firm

Miller Nash saved 3,280 reams of paper and $39,000 annually.

Miller Nash, Foster Pepper, K&L Preston Gates and Garvey, Schubert and Barer are Seattle law firms actively taking steps to improve their bottom line and their environmental footprint.  Miller Nash recently switched their printers from bond paper to recycled copy paper, saving 3,280 reams and $39,000 annually. K&L Preston Gates uses an electronic pre-bill review process.  Garvey, Schubert and Barer is a member of the Seattle Climate Partnership with other Seattle businesses such as Starbucks and REI, committed to reducing their carbon emissions.

For more information on some of the sustainability measures being taken by local firms, read our Legal Services Newsletter.