Only about half of U.S. small businesses offer their employees direct deposit of their paychecks, according to a recent national survey conducted by NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association. Increasing the number of small businesses that deposit their employees’ pay directly to their bank accounts could significantly reduce the use of paper checks and companies’ carbon footprints, say NACHA officials.

NACHA manages the development, administration and governance of the Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network, the backbone for the electronic movement of money and data. The organization represents nearly 11,000 financial institutions through 17 regional payments associations and direct membership.

The survey found that the best messaging for banks to encourage use of direct deposit by small businesses is to emphasize time savings and reduced environmental impact, and to present direct deposit as a “valued employee benefit.”