DHL announced yesterday that the company will eliminate one third of the invoices it uses in its European shipping within the next two years. That translates to 6 million paper invoices that will be saved annually. In order to make a switch to an electronic billing system, DHL teamed with Accountis. The company worked with DHL for two years to create an electronic billing system, which will save nearly 2,400 trees per year and eliminate the emission of 600 tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Accountis markets its electronic invoicing programs as a way for organizations to meet their sustainability requirements: making the switch reduces not only paper needed, but end waste, energy for the manufacture and delivery of bills and all the associated paperwork for billing — purchase orders, statements, remittances and all the necessary details can be andled online just as easily as invoicing.

DHL has committed itself to improving its own carbon efficiency, as well as that of its subcontractors by 30 percent by 2020. It seems likely that the new system could also eliminate a huge cost for DHL — especially if the electronic billing system is expanded to handle all 18 million invoices the company issues in Europe annually.

Photo — DHL