Wyn Drabble: Pursuing a paperless planet

A business I deal with is doing the responsible thing and going paperless - or as paperless as it is possible to go.

They sent me a paper letter by paper post to tell me so.

Now, most of us are surely annoyed by the amount of waste paper that enters our homes via our letter boxes so I was impressed with this company's concern for the planet and its dwindling resources.

"Dear Valued Customer," the paper letter began before explaining how this change would "fit with current trends towards the paperless office and helping the environment".

As I read, I chuckled at the irony but then came the major chuckle. They had also sent me a stamped, self-addressed envelope in which to send them my paperless contact details. This, even though the letterhead quite clearly offered their own paperless contact details.

I thought I could assist them in their quest to be paperless if I ignored the free envelope and just emailed my details.

But then I thought, no; they had been so kind as to send me a pre-paid envelope so I should be grateful and use it.

I could even pop into the envelope a request to post me an acknowledgement that they had received my updated details for which I could enclose an envelope addressed to me and with a stamp affixed.

But I certainly don't want you to think I'm setting myself up as an expert or role model in this whole paperless business.

How could I? I'm so old- fashioned that I still have a cheque book.

Yes, I'm a part of online banking too but that does not offer the same "buzz" as filling in an amount, crossing the corner and scrawling your signature across the dotted line. On paper.

There's even a pleasure to be had tearing neatly down the perforated line and filling in the details on the butt.

They don't do butts online - except, of course, on some of the dodgier websites.

According to my limited research, paper was invented during the Han Dynasty in China in 105AD when someone thought it would be a good idea to write down a list of things that needed doing. When he created paper, he realised he needed to invent writing.

Of course, papyrus had been around for awhile but that is not paper.

Papyrus is a lamination of natural plant material (early biros must have gone straight through it) whereas paper is manufactured from fibres whose properties have been altered by maceration or disintegration.

Over in Japan, a similar problem arose but the Japanese decided to skip the paper stage and just invent the iPad.

All the surplus papyrus was made into kimonos and interior walls for houses.

History, as you can probably see, is not really my forte so let's come back to the present day and the big question of whether we can achieve a paperless society. My view is that, if we can, it's still a long way off.

One simple reason is that people's fear of technology causes them to back up their data with hard copies (even though they could back it up on other digital devices).

Another is that many of us still like the tangible feel of paper whether it be in the form of a letter (will anything ever replace a beautifully hand-written letter?), a book, magazine or newspaper. Even a bill.

And you try making a paper dart online.

But change is certainly happening and, at the moment, paper and the electronic world simply have to coexist. This has advantages and disadvantages.

As the technology has become easier to access, we have all embraced the idea of having a printer in the house, for instance. A printer? In a paperless society?

Another example: some of our friends around the world send us e-cards at Christmas. Many are indeed pretty and festive and the most impressive ones even play tunes as well. Very merry.

But you can't hang them on a string across the mantelpiece.