Schools Should Be Paper Free
by Aileen Kang
M
ore people use electronic devices to write than printed documents because it is much more comfort-
able to type than write by hand. In my opinion, I think schools should be paper free because digital
devices benefit both the school and the students.
Many students dislike carrying heavy textbooks from class to class. If the school were paper free, students
would only have to carry one device with PDF files on it. This means no more lugging heavy textbooks up
six flights of stairs, for example. PDF files are lighter and more efficient, and they are easier to replace than
lost books.
Going paper free will help the environment and prevent deforestation. To manufacture paper, a lot of trees
are destroyed. One day, we won’t have enough trees and it will ruin our environment. If there are not enough
trees, animals will go extinct and pollution increase. There are people who say we can recycle paper, but the
process still harms the environment by burning fuel and increasing emissions from factories.
These days, it is much easier to access documents with electronic devices. When sharing documents with
friends or teachers, it is much faster and easier to transfer digital documents. Also, physical documents are
easier to lose than digital documents, because digital documents can be saved to the cloud.
Books and paper are expensive to buy every year. Our school spends a lot of money on books, paper and
ink that will only be used temporarily. Nowadays, e-books are cheaper and easier to obtain in China than
physical books. It’s time we start thinking about ditching print and going digital.