AP Photo/Nati Harnik
READ MORE ABOUT:
What if I were to tell you that there was a magnificent new way to send correspondence to others without using a scrap of paper? You would probably tell me that yeah, that's rad, and that POGs and snap bracelets are sick, too. Psyche. And then you'd tell me to stop watching I Love the '90s marathons. And I'd say over my dead body.
But eventually, we'd get to the point, which is that you should check out the underrated online service called Zumbox. It's sort of like email 2.0 (I must say I hate myself for typing that). But instead of signing up for a new email address, you enter your actual address. You make a commitment to receiving all of your mail electronically, and then businesses and other folks who use the service send you all your mail, digital-style.
And then you get your actual postal mail online, instead of in your mailbox. Seems simple enough, right?
The company projects that if the service takes off, it could be responsible for saving as many as 100 million trees. Not to mention all the emissions spared from mail trucks as well.
Problem is, for the system to work well enough to the point where we'd see the environmental benefits, everyone would have to be using it. That is, it's a fine idea, but all of the people you'd be receiving paper mail from need to be aware of and using the system for it to work.
When I first heard about Zumbox, I thought, that's an exceedingly lame name. Then I thought, that's a pretty damn good idea. But then I thought, wait, what sort of mail would it actually spare? After all, I get my credit card and other bills online. But apparently, only 3-5% of people in the US do that, according to Zumbox—and if everyone were to opt for the online option, it'd be a major source of paper savings. Obviously, your mother's probably not going to send you a birthday card digitally—at least not yet, anyways.
Check out Zumbox, and see if we can inch towards a truly paperless revolution. For more info on the service, check out CEO Glen Ward's interview with Twilight Earth.
More on Paperless Messaging
Looking for a green job? Try this Green Job Quiz
Going Paperless Isn't Always Green, Supermarkets Swapping Price Tags for LCDs
Go Paperless in Your Home Office
-
- {}
