Issue 1

According to Planet Ark, in 2006, 92 per cent of Australian households recycled or re-used paper - up from 55 per cent 15 years ago. Despite this impressive adoption rate, Australians consume approximately 200 kilograms of paper products per person annually and 70kgs of printing and writing paper ? approximately 70 per cent of which is imported. Clearly this will have a significant impact upon our environment.

Although we know that BPAY View has biller and consumer benefits beyond cost savings, the environment advantages have been difficult to credibly quantify.

To better understand in practical environmental terms what it means for a biller and customer to sign up for BPAY View, we have partnered with Planet Ark, which has reviewed the resources consumed and emissions associated with paper production.

Initial findings from their study tell us that last year, BPAY View presented the equivalent of 6 million pages of bills, which would have been enclosed in four million envelopes. BPAY View billers and users helped save 50 tonnes of paper and 1.35 million litres of water, while reducing greenhouse emissions by 80 tonnes.

To give these figures context, consider that in one year BPAY View saved:

• 1, 045 trees
• Approximately 21 Olympic sized swimming pools of water
• The energy equivalent of 17 homes
• 1 garbage truck of solid waste for landfill

In the coming months, we will begin collaborating with interested billers to explore the significant enviromental savings that the incremental growth in BPAY View registrations can have on a business? green credentials.

For more information on our activities with Planet Ark, please contact the BPAY office.