Online-banking consumers can do well by doing good: Improving financial control while eliminating the paper bills, statements and checks that harm the environment.

Such efforts can save 17 million trees and avoid 4 billion tons of greenhouse gases a year, according to a recent report from Javelin Strategy & Research, writes MarketingCharts.

The report, titled "2007 Online Banking and Bill Payment: Trends, Forecasts, and Strategies for Reinvigorating Growth and Adoption," finds that those who have yet to use online banking have become more entrenched in their objections over time, saying they "prefer to deal with people" or because of fears of fraud.

As a result, adoption of online banking has begun to slow, according to the report; but by underscoring the environmental benefits of paperless banking, financial institutions can continue to gain online customers, the report suggests.

Two key findings/forecasts of the Javelin Strategy & Research report:

• Some 61 million households now bank online (53 percent of the US households), which is projected to reach 82 million households by 2012, or 67 percent of US households.
• 39 million households pay bills at individual biller sites; that number is projected to reach 50 million by 2012.

MarketingCharts provides more, including data on the environmental benefits that could be achieved if all US households were to view and pay bills online.