The average  Pole uses over 143 kg of paper each year. This is a lot, although less than a Luxembourger with 277kg, a German with 251kg or an Austrian with 249kg. Paper production, apart from the significant costs burdening the budgets of the companies using it, is harmful to the environment, as it involves the progressive felling of trees and huge consumption of water and energy. This situation could be changed by the spread of digital tools that support the fight against the overproduction of waste paper in companies.

Electronic document workflows and the popularisation of digital tools are the basis of technological transformation processes in Polish companies and public services. Thanks to increasingly accessible and modern solutions, such as mobile electronic signatures and durable media, businesses are now able to reduce the scale of paper printouts in favour of digital documents. The benefits of modern solutions are appreciated by those representing both business and public administration.

A convenient solution in the 'eco' spirit

Why is the implementation, for example in finance and banking, of paperless solutions so important? It is worth using numbers to see the problem more clearly. Producing 1t of paper requires cutting down 17 trees. Meanwhile, just one such felled tree could produce enough oxygen for 10 people for a year. That is, the felling of 17 trees translates into a loss of annual oxygen supply for 170 people. Traditional cash registers are also unfriendly to the climate: 1.5 billion paper receipts and invoices are printed in Poland every year, which translates into 255,000 trees being cut down. Industrial pulp and paper production ranks top in terms of its impact on air and water pollution worldwide.

Despite growing environmental awareness, many companies in Poland still do not monitor the costs associated with purchasing, processing, transporting and archiving traditional paper documents. It is not very common to use recycled paper, e.g. for draft documents. It is worth noting, however, that climate concerns can be reflected even in individual business decisions that do not require elaborate, multi-year strategies. The right tools, properly implemented and disseminated, can have a beneficial effect on the environment practically immediately.

"Modern digital services are one of the key elements of innovation-driven transformation. Solutions such as e-signature or durable media are user-friendly and convenient, with the important feature of ensuring data security. Thanks to the technology used, including blockchain in the durable medium or cryptography in the electronic signature, the invariability of documents is guaranteed. By consistently eliminating paper printouts, we are contributing step by step to reducing our carbon footprint. This is a real relief for the planet," says Elżbieta Włodarczyk, director of the Electronic Signature Business Line at KIR.

The green side of electronic signatures

As a qualified trust service provider, KIR has been providing e-signature services - including, crucial for the security of legal transactions, qualified electronic signatures and electronic seals - for more than twenty years. In 2020, the company released an innovative solution in this area: mSzafir, i.e. a mobile electronic signature in a completely remote version. Unlike a traditional electronic signature, mSzafir does not require physical devices such as cards and readers. Such a signature can also be obtained completely online by confirming your identity in your own electronic banking system. It is an extremely convenient solution in every respect - any electronic device with internet access can be used to use the mSzafir e-signature, signing documents anywhere and anytime. Today, e-signature is one of the key solutions for business, making it possible, among other things, to go paperless and speed up the circulation of documentation.

“Employees using electronic signatures do not lose time printing, sending or archiving documents. E-signature makes work easier and more efficient, while providing companies and institutions with tangible savings. We know that business appreciates those advantages, because in 2021 we issued twice as many long-term mSzafir e-signatures as in 2020. Among our clients, we have companies where the use of e-signature has reduced document handling costs by 75%," adds Elżbieta Włodarczyk.

Durable media are gaining in importance

Another noteworthy digital tool that can help reduce paper in the company is the durable media. This advanced solution, provided by KIR, is based on a combination of two technologies - blockchain and the WORM matrix. “Basing the durable medium on blockchain, in a novel formula using a connection to the WORM array, meets the three criteria set by law for this solution: durability, availability and integrity. This allows the durable medium to be used for communication with customers, in compliance with the GDPR and other regulations. Companies processing sensitive data can thus be sure of its security, while at the same time achieving significant savings,” explains Jolanta Błaszczyk, Expert in the Electronic Signature Business Line at KIR.

The whole process from the user's side is that the financial institution or company that issues the document, e.g. a credit agreement or commercial contract, signs it with an electronic seal or certificate and marks it with a time stamp. It sends its customers a link to www.kir.pl, where they can check the history of changes made to the document and compliance with the requirements for durable media. A process carried out in this way ensures that the document is properly legitimised and can be used in dealings with other authorities, such as the court. The electronic durable medium also has the advantage over the traditional form (i.e. a paper printout or CD, for example) that it cannot be lost or destroyed - blockchain technology guards the integrity and durability of the documents stored in the system. “The environmental value of a sustainable carrier is fairly easy to estimate. One of our clients, within two years of implementing this service, has sent 11 million documents electronically, which translates into approximately PLN 20 million in savings and the saving of approximately 50 ha of forest," comments Jolanta Błaszczyk, Expert in the Electronic Signature Business Line at KIR

There are many more benefits of implementing digital tools. In addition to providing equivalent legal effects, guaranteed by a qualified trust service provider, convenience of use and protection of the values transferred, they also allow costs to be optimised within the company and speed up documentation processing. "The migration of company documentation to digital form, supported by the use of e-signature and a durable medium, allows for a significant competitive advantage. A derivative of the implementation of digital solutions is also the image aspect - modern and environmentally conscious companies are opting for this move. And they are the ones setting the business standards today,"  concludes Elżbieta Włodarczyk.