UK Households
Paper Mountain:
PFU Study Reveals UK Households Hoard Enough Paper to Reach the Height of the Shard – More than 49 Thousand Times!
Scansnap
A new study by PFU (EMEA) Limited, uncovers a paper hoarding epidemic in the UK, with the average home clinging onto the equivalent of 5,681 A4 sheets of paper. In total, that’s over 160 billion sheets across the UK, enough to reach the height of the Shard more than 49 thousand times if stacked.
While UK households are the biggest culprits, hoarding is rampant across Europe, with the Italians, Germans, Spanish and French also reluctant to let go of their paper clutter.
The research, which was carried out by ScanSnap to understand better how people manage their relationship with paper, highlights an emotional attachment to paper. An overwhelming 66% of respondents estimate it’s unlikely that they will use the paper they have in their homes again – yet three in five (61%) say they would be worried if they were to lose all the paper documents they currently have stored.
“The fact is that the world continues to rely on paper for critical documents, says Kashiwagi san – President and CEO, PFU (EMEA) Limited. This fear-driven retention takes a psychological toll, leading to negative feelings such as avoidance or doubt. It's time we imagine a world without the anxiety of misplaced documents or towering piles of paper."
UK Households the Biggest Paper Hoarders
The survey identifies UK households as the prime culprits of paper hoarding – with total paper weight translating to a staggering 800 million KG of unused paper across the nation. Yet, European households are following suit with those in France least likely to keep hold of paper, averaging 4,182 sheets per household.
The Clutter Contradiction – Burdened but Just Can’t Let Go
A significant 68% of respondents admit to feeling stressed by clutter in their homes or workspaces, with 66% expressing a desire for less clutter. Yet despite this, 76% of respondents confess to holding onto paper items as a precautionary measure, indicating a deep-seated aversion to loss.
“Our survey uncovers a struggle to resist paper accumulation and the resulting sense of burden. But decluttering doesn't have to be daunting. Digitising everything from precious memories to important documents can significantly lighten the paper load in our living spaces,” said says Kashiwagi san – President and CEO, PFU (EMEA) Limited.
