Why Outsourcing Record Storage is Better for the Environment

Increasingly, businesses across the US are concerned about their environmental impact. There is a need to adhere to international law and be seen to do “the right thing” by customers at the same time. Environmental issues are now a major concern for everyone. In many ways, outsourcing your medical record storage is the environmental choice for the 21^st century.

No Transportation Costs

You are not obliged to switch from paper to digital records, but it is the obvious green choice. Although most of our paper is produced sustainable today, the transportation cost in terms of carbon is a significant factor in lumbering. No matter how much we recycle, it leaves a carbon footprint. With digital storage, there are no such carbon emissions from the mass transportation of goods. Few things are carbon free, but by switching to digital, you remove a major contributor. It has been calculated as 85.7bn metric tons annually in the US alone.

 

Trash Reduction

With outsourced record retrieval and storage, trash production is reduced to almost zero. The electronic equipment used in cloud computing has a long shelf life and is recyclable. We can upgrade parts as and when required. With paper, there is a constant stream of recyclable material. Any sticking tape, staples or other hard materials may simply need to go in the trash. You can reduce your annual waste (and your cost) by moving some services to digital. Cost is the major reason people cite moving to any Cloud services, but labor intensity in trash production is another.

 

Shared Resources Means Lower Emissions

The two previous points focused on encouraging your business to switch from paper storage to Cloud storage. How is the environmental cost lower if you outsource from in-house Cloud to third party Cloud? Shared resources means lower expenditure in terms of financial cost and GHG emissions. When you outsource to one of our dedicated servers, you are pooling resources. You will not need extra power for your server, storage system and other digital services in house.

 

Space Saving

This is slightly more abstract, but it still an environmental benefit. Holding your own records, be they hard copy or digital requires space on your premises. Some businesses look to expand their facilities only to hold records. With the switch to outsourced Cloud record retrieval and storage, you will need less space for shelving, filing cabinets and office space. When you outsource your digital storage, you will need less physical space for your server.