Mission: The mission of the Paper Reduction Committee, a sub-committee of the Sustainability Committee, is to help the Berks campus community lower the amount of paper going into the trash by promoting awareness and educating the community on reducing paper use and recycling paper and paper-based products. Membership Membership on this committee is open to all students, faculty and staff.

During the 2015-2016 academic year, as a result of targeted efforts to reduce paper usage on campus, students used 44% less paper than the previous year. Faculty and staff used 10% less paper.

Past Activities

Fall 2016 – Campaign to increase recycling

• The faculty and staff surveys revealed that we have an opportunity to increase recycling and decrease paper products going in the trash through an awareness campaign.

Summer 2016 – Implement changes requested by students –

• Students wanted more access to computers and printing in hallways so the I.T. Department made that happen.

Summer 2016 – Student Print Allocation

• The future of this program was decided and implemented.

Spring 2016 – Campaign to reduce faculty and staff printing and copying

• A mid-year print and copy report was created. It was distributed to Administrators and discussed at a faculty senate meeting.
• A survey was sent to faculty to gather paper usage information and to also raise awareness of paper reduction and recycling.
• A staff survey be will to distributed in early April.
• Mindful printing cards with print reducing tips were placed at every faculty and staff use printer.
• Every administrative area on campus received a detailed print/copy usage report and were asked to have discussions on ways to cut future print/copy use in their area.
• Workshops on Box and Canvas were held and participation was high.

Spring 2016 – Earth week display –

• Students built a structure made from empty paper boxes and orphaned print outs.

Fall 2015 – Campaign to reduce student printing

• Student print allocation system – Each student started the semester with a 250 page on campus print allocation. 75% of the students printed 250 pages or less for the entire semester. In Fall 2015, students printed 41% less than what was printed by students during Fall 2014. As a trickle effect, faculty and staff printed and copied 4% less during the same time.
• Mindful printing – The IT help desk students developed cards with print reducing tips and placed the cards at every student-use printer.

Some Statistics on printing across different Penn State campuses: