Eco Polish Post: Less paper, more trees
Part of Poczta Polska's mission is to minimize its environmental impact. Thanks to its comprehensive approach and employee engagement, the company demonstrates that it takes this responsibility seriously. In 2024, thanks to pro-ecological initiatives, it managed to reduce the number of printed pages by 12%, thus saving at least a thousand trees.*.
As part of the "Paperless Mail" program, Poczta Polska has significantly reduced paper consumption in its operational and office activities. Compared to 2023, the number of printed pages across the company fell by nearly 10.5 million in 2024. Print monitoring allowed for precise paper consumption management and increased efficiency of internal processes. Reducing print volume not only contributes to forest conservation but also reduces CO2 emissions and water consumption, which are essential in the paper production process.
While the Polish Post Office still produces nearly 900 tons of paper documentation annually, it no longer ends up in the trash (i.e., municipal waste). It is properly destroyed and resold to recycling companies, protecting the environment and recovering some of the cost. While 900 tons is still a lot, it's already 320 tons less than in 2023.
Innovation and ecology at the Polish Post Office
In response to the growing needs of the delivery market and with the environment in mind, Poczta Polska is introducing numerous innovative solutions. E-invoices, whose share increased by 3.5% in 2024, are just one of the initiatives reducing paper consumption. Additionally, Poczta Polska's eShop ( www.sklep.poczta-polska.pl ) offers a wide range of eco-friendly packaging and supplies necessary for preparing eco-parcels and eco-correspondence. These include letter and parcel envelopes, as well as Skropak – a biodegradable parcel filler that has gained immense popularity among customers.
The Polish Post Office plants forests
Beyond internal activities, Poczta Polska actively engages in initiatives aimed at protecting and regenerating the natural ecosystem. In 2024, in cooperation with the State Forests, another edition of the "Choose Us, Plant a Forest" campaign was implemented, during which 10,000 trees were planted. This campaign gained widespread recognition and support among customers and employees.
A commitment for the future
It is estimated that a single tree can be cut down to produce approximately 12,000 standard A4 sheets (80 g/m²), the type typically used in printers and copiers. Additionally, such production consumes over 1,000 liters of water and emits over 100 kg of CO2.
According to a KPMG report from several years ago, the average company in Poland uses 1.3 reams of A4 paper per month, which translates to nearly 650 sheets of paper per employee and approximately 7,700 sheets per year. Of this total, nearly 10% is wasted. That's why Poczta Polska (Polish Post) continues its green mission, striving for continuous development and the introduction of ecological innovations.
*All data are estimated assuming that it takes about 17 trees to produce one tonne of paper, which is equivalent to about 200,000 A4 sheets.