City offers online payment

Residents of Tallmadge, Ohio, can now pay their city water and sewer bills online, reports Tallmadge Express.

Mayor Dave Kline says residents were notified in their last two rounds of bills of the option to pay via the city's Web site, http://www.tallmadge-ohio.org.

There are about 7 000 water and sewer customers in the city, and the option to go paperless is expected to make it more convenient for residents and is another step toward the city going paperless, says the mayor.

Some companies are now encouraging customers to only receive their bills online, stating this is better for the environment. But while the efficiency of electronic communication is clear, the many 'go paperless' initiatives may not be motivated purely by concern for the environment, says Liverpool Echo.

Two Sides, the UK initiative to promote the responsible production and use of print and paper, says some companies are guilty of a greenwashing - whereby they use unsubstantiated claims about the environmental benefit of products or services usually for promotional benefit.

Greenwashing messages such as 'switch to e-billing because it's better for the environment', for example, imply that consumers will be choosing a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly option than print and paper.

The Kansas City General Services Department and Kansas City Power & Light have successfully transitioned the city's electric utility billing to a paperless process, states Liberty Tribune.

This environmentally friendly transition will result in a reduction in overhead and human resource costs associated with the handling and storage of more than 15 000 documents annually.

"I compliment our city staff and KCP&L for continuing to look for ways to impact the environment," says Mayor Funkhouser. "More and more, Kansas City is being looked to as a great example of green initiatives put into practice."