We are constantly looking for ways to use less paper in our business, and to use more paper with recycled content. However, this is a challenge for us and in 2007, our paper consumption rose to 12,875 tonnes, up from 8,132 tonnes in 2006.

Aviva makes good use of electronic communications to reduce the amount of paper we use. For example, employees can view many corporate policies and procedures on the intranet and other web-based applications, while UK brokers have online access to policy information through the broker portal initiative.

Many of our businesses find that the easiest way to cut down on paper is to have printers set to default to double-sided printing, such as Aviva’s headquarters in London and Hibernian in Ireland. And at Delta Lloyd in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, we use paper from sustainable sources for printing and copying.

In Poland, the promotion of payments by direct debit has helped to reduce the consumption of paper through giros and printed correspondence, and Aviva Canada developed an e-card for the 2007 holiday season, which helped to reduce waste, save trees and reduce the CO₂ associated with the production and distribution of standard cards. The money saved in postage was donated to ThinkFirst, Aviva Canada’s signature charity.

Case study

Reducing paper use at Eagle Insurance Sri Lanka

In early 2007, Eagle Insurance Sri Lanka launched an initiative to develop a more environmentally sound office environment. The project was launched with a company-wide drive towards the efficient use of paper, led by a cross functional project team. Emphasis was placed on raising employee awareness and generating support through a company-wide campaign.

Several changes were implemented across the head office and the regions to minimise printing and paper waste, including:

• setting all printers to default to double-sided printing
• revising the purchasing policy to stipulate that only duplex (double-siding) printers should be bought
• converting most life and general insurance policy documents and quotations to duplex
• sending weekly messages to staff about saving paper
• introducing a session into the induction programme for new staff on using paper efficiently
• switching from issuing printed schedules and other documents to sending them electronically

The project was a success both in terms of increased employee awareness and direct cuts in the volume of paper purchased.