Corporate sustainability and digital transformation: how to reduce paper use in internal processes

Corporate sustainability is not an optional extra, but a strategic choice for companies that want to responsibly address environmental and social challenges.

This is confirmed by the recent report from the Bank of Italy on the progress of best practices among major Italian banks, which highlights paperless current accounts as virtuous examples of sustainable products.

A clear signal: digitalization is not only about reducing costs – it enables the creation of more sustainable products and services, delivering tangible benefits for both the environment and customers.

Document dematerialization: a pillar of sustainability

Gradually eliminating paper from operational workflows is one of the most immediate ways to make a company more sustainable. In many sectors, this is already a reality – from e-invoicing to digital signatures, from online contracts to cloud-based document management.
Reducing paper use doesn’t simply mean “printing less”; it means rethinking processes to make them natively digital.

For example, managing expense reports entirely through a mobile app removes the need to print receipts, fill out forms, and physically send them to the accounting department. The same applies to HR communications: today, it’s possible to sign an employment contract, receive payslips, and manage vacation requests without producing a single sheet of paper.

These choices not only simplify a company’s daily operations but also help reduce its environmental footprint by cutting waste and lowering emissions associated with paper production, transport, and disposal.

Corporate Sustainability: why digital processes are also good for the planet

What are the four pillars of environmental sustainability?
Ecosystem protection, efficient resource use, emission reduction, and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles – all key principles that should be integrated into corporate strategies for a more responsible future.

By adopting these principles, business digitalization emerges as a powerful enabler. It reduces paper consumption, streamlines daily activities, and enhances operational transparency. But that’s not all: it also paves the way for eco-friendly commercial offerings.
Examples include paperless current accounts, digital insurance services, remote onboarding, online billing, dematerialized banking tools, and “green” packages for customers who opt for paper-free solutions.

Innovation in processes directly translates into innovation in products and services, enabling a truly comprehensive sustainable approach.
Companies can thus offer smoother, low-impact user experiences, strengthening the link between internal efficiency and perceived external value.

This raises a central question: “What must companies do to be sustainable?”
A good starting point is precisely this – to rethink business processes in digital terms, reducing waste, automating operations, and designing commercial offerings that align with environmental values.

Sustainability, business, and work: what it really means to be sustainable

Digital transformation also impacts people and work organization.
What does sustainability at work mean? Not only caring for the environment, but also providing tools and methods that improve the quality of everyday tasks.
Dematerialization helps reduce bureaucratic burdens, eliminate time-wasting activities, and simplify access to information.

For instance, an integrated document management system allows each department to quickly find what they need – without intermediaries or physical archives.
Remote work becomes easier, as digital workflows can be securely accessed from anywhere. The result is greater efficiency and a more fluid, modern, and responsible work environment.

Innovation and environment: a possible combination

Corporate sustainability is a journey that requires strategic vision and concrete action.
In this journey, digitalization is not just a tool for efficiency – it’s a driver of cultural change.
Simplifying workflows, reducing paper, automating controls, and designing digital, accessible products all have a real, tangible impact on how a company interacts with both the environment and people.

You don’t need to reinvent everything – just start with what can be done right away: digitize a process, eliminate a printout, dematerialize an archive. Step by step, a business model takes shape where innovation and environmental responsibility become two sides of the same evolution.