Save Paper, Make RPI Greener

1. Save Paper, Make RPI Greener The Three Musketeers Jessica, Asia, Jamie

2. Proposal • We initially want to get three double-sided printers that will be installed in the Union, VCC, and Folsom Library • We want to put a set of guidelines for greener printing on the VCC help desk website • We are going to talk to Professors and explain the benefits of having their students switch to double-sided printing or online submission of work • In addition, we want to talk to the VCC about changing the printed receipts that students receive every time they print

3. Details: Double-Sided Printers • We want to get three double-sided printers purchased, one to be placed in the VCC, the Student Union, and the Folsom Library respectively • These are the most heavily populated printing areas so they will get the most use and save more paper • We want the printers that we purchase to be set for double sided printing, not just capable of doing so • The Average price for each printer we are looking to purchase is: $500-$1000 for large, $100-$400 for small(1). • Brand: Xerox, HP, Lexmark • Where to purchase: Online (bizrate, Adorama)

4. Details: Guidelines for Printing • Guidelines for Greener Printing: • Double-check work for any mistakes in grammar, information, etc. • If a mistake is made only print the page or pages that have a mistake instead of the entire document • Format so that margins are smaller (unless otherwise noted by a professor) • Format the work so that there are no large, unnecessary spaces • Use the print preview option, especially when printing from online to make sure that all pages are needed and none have formatting issues • Decrease font size from 12 point to 11 point- this can save a page or two of paper and ink depending on the length of the paper and is still read easily (more for longer documents/work) • Print only what you need and will use – if you can read it online and do not have to print it, don’t • If you are printing more than one thing from the same format, create one document so that only one receipt is printed and formatting can be adjusted to save wasted space created from having separate documents

5. Details: Talking to Professors • We want to talk to professors and try to convince them to strongly encourage, if not require, student’s papers to be printed double sided • We also want to talk to professors about allowing students to turn things in online instead of a paper copy of their work (for most work) • One argument for this is that things do not need to be printed for comments to be added to them, tablets and apps can be used instead • Also, student work can be all in one place at one time which makes it easier for professors/TAs to keep track of the work that students turn in

6. Details: Receipts From Printing • We propose to change the way that students receive their receipt and separate their work when they print • Change receipts to be emailed instead of being printed as a full page • Have the printers print a blank page to separate students work • These blank pages can then be reloaded and used for printing • Possibly have the RCS id printed on the footers of each page being printed (however with the other things in place this is not necessary but would help to separate students’ work better than just the blank page)

7. What’s in it for RPI? • Save money on paper and ink • Paper: half the paper used for double-sided printing and no full page receipt will reduce the amount paper used • Ink: save ink because of getting rid of the full page receipt, reduction in re-printing of mistakes, and better formatting for students’ work so as to reduce the ink used • Printing friendly guidelines would mean less reprints • Less time wasted on cleaning up in VCC because of the left behind, unneeded receipts and reprints • This gives the student workers more time to help students • Satisfaction of doing something good for the environment • Potential for more students to switch to greener printing and save even more paper

8. Environmental Impacts • Paper waste means loss of trees • One ton of uncoated, virgin printing paper uses 24 trees (3). • Emissions from making paper and shipping it around • If the US cut office paper use by 10%, it would prevent the emission of 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases (5). • Recycling paper would save paper, which would save trees, and would ultimately help reduce emissions • The paper industry is the third highest emitter of industrial greenhouse gases (to the air) in the world and the fifth highest emitter of toxic waste (to the water), (2). • 1 ton recycled paper saves: • 24 trees, 7000 gallons of water, 60 pounds of air pollution, 4100 Kilowatt hours of electricity (2). • One page of wasted printing costs $0.06 (4).

9. Short-Term Goals • Getting double sided printers for the Union, VCC, and Folsom Library • Changing the receipts so that each printing job does not waste a full sheet of paper (and ink) • Talking to professors to change the way that students turn in their written work (either double-sided or online) • Putting up guidelines for students to reference to print greener • Also include ink-friendly guidelines which would save money • Getting students to actually use double sided printing by talking to them and getting them informed

10. Thinking Ahead • We want this to grow and have a policy in place that whenever new printers are purchased for the campus, they have to be double-sided printers or at least have the capability to be • We would like to see more printers bought to be added to or to replace the printers in residence halls and other places students and faculty often print • If we purchase any printers that require an outside driver for printing, then we want to have those drivers installed into the new laptops for incoming classes and have it available for current students to get for their laptops as well • Make the switch to recycled paper to be used campus wide for all printers • We also want to have a policy for all papers (at least in certain writing-intensive classes) to be: • Printed double-sided (or) • Turned in online for classes where applicable

11. In Conclusion • Single-sided printing, human error, and full paper printing receipts wastes a lot of paper, we want to change that (at least on a small scale) • Double-sided printers and a better system of separating student work will save paper and make RPI greener • We have short-term goals that are fairly easy to implement and some long-term goals for the school as a whole that this project can be expanded upon if it works at this initial stage

12. References • Bizrate. Bizrate.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. <http://www.bizrate.com/printers/products__keyword--double+sided+printers__start--40.html>. • "How Many Trees Are Needed to Make a given Amount of Paper?" Metaclimate.com. Blogger, 10 Feb. 2011. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. <http://climatechangepw.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-many-trees-are-needed-to-make-given.html>. • "One Tree = How Much Paper?" Editorial. Green@work Sept.-Oct. 2003: n. pag. Greenatworkmag.com. Premier Corporate Sustainability. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. • "Printing Facts." Urban.csuohio.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. <http://urban.csuohio.edu/~sanda/syl/envpol/materials/GREEN%20FACTS.pdf>. • "15 Facts About Paper Waste." Askgreenirene.tenderapp.com. Tender, 3 Sept. 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.