What does this compare?

It compares paper printing to a digital alternative for the same number of pages, estimating trees, water, and energy saved. Assumptions for paper (sheet weight, recycled content, water & energy per kg) and digital energy per page are editable.

Are the defaults exact?

No. Values vary by mill technology, recycling rates, energy mix, device efficiency, and reading behavior. Numbers here are awareness-level placeholders you can tune.

No. Everything runs locally in your browser.

Paper vs. Digital Impact — Trees, Water & Energy Saved

Friendly estimates for planning and awareness. Private by design — runs locally in your browser.

Inputs

Pages moved to digital Period Duplex rate (double-sided, % of prints) N-up (pages per sheet)

📄 Paper

Sheet weight (g/sheet) Recycled content (%) Trees per metric ton (editable) Water (L per kg paper) Energy (kWh per kg paper)

Recycled paper adjustments (optional)

Recycled energy factor (vs virgin) Recycled water factor (vs virgin)

Trees saved only apply to the virgin share. Energy & water are blend-adjusted using these factors.

💻 Digital

Digital energy per page (kWh) Open/read rate (% of pages actually read)

Awareness-level estimator. Mill technology, recycled content, device efficiency, and reading behavior vary widely. All factors are editable.

Results

How the Calculator Works

Sheets avoided: pages ÷ (pages per sheet) ÷ (1 + duplex bonus). Duplex% assumes half those prints use both sides.
Paper mass avoided: sheets × g/sheet ÷ 1000 → kg.
Trees saved (est.): (virgin share of mass) × (1 ton / 1000 kg) × trees/ton.
Water saved: weighted water per kg (virgin vs recycled factors) × kg paper avoided, minus digital water (not modeled here).
Energy saved: weighted energy per kg × kg paper avoided − (digital energy per page × read pages).

Tip: Try 4–6 g per A4 sheet (80–100 gsm). Adjust recycled share and factors to mirror your supply chain or LCA source.

Paper vs. Digital: What the Numbers Mean

This tool translates “pages moved to digital” into a rough estimate of trees, water, and energy saved. Office paper varies by mill technology, recycled content, and paper weight. Likewise, digital reading varies by device, time-on-screen, file size, and network mix. That’s why every assumption here is transparent and editable. Treat results as directional and focus on the category magnitudes rather than precise decimals.

Key Drivers

Sheet weight: Heavier paper increases mass and therefore water/energy per page.
Recycled content: Reduces trees saved (only the virgin share uses trees) and often lowers water/energy intensity.
Duplex & N-up: Printing two-sided or multiple pages per sheet reduces sheets used for the same content.
Digital energy per page: Dominated by device power and data transfer. Highly efficient devices and caching reduce it.
Open/read rate: If not all digital pages are actually opened, digital energy falls accordingly.

Nuance & Limits

Trees per ton is an estimate that varies with species and forestry practice. Keep it editable and use your preferred reference.
Water and energy intensities differ by mill, fuel mix, and recycled inputs. Regional LCAs will be more precise.
This tool does not model ink/toner, printers, devices, or end-of-life impacts; it’s a lightweight comparison to guide decisions.

Tip: Save a shareable link after tuning assumptions—handy for before/after comparisons or policy proposals.