Reducing Paper Usage at Smith College

Smith College, as an educational institution, uses a considerable amount of paper. A significant portion of this consumption, however, is unnecessary. This study focused on needless printing from computers. Based on the testimony of computer lab consultants, thousands of sheets of paper are wasted daily college-wide. Efforts to reduce paper usage at four other colleges were investigated. Smith College can adopt more sustainable paper use practices by installing computer printers with duplexing capabilities, charging for printing, educating students and staff about printing options, announcing events electronically, and purchasing copy paper with significant postconsumer content. Introduction The paper manufacturing industry has had a major impact on the environment. It uses four percent of the world’s energy, making the industry the fifth largest energy consumer (Abramovitz & Mattoon, 1999). Ten kilowatts per hour is required to produce one ream of paper (Stein, 1997). Twenty percent of all wood harvested is used for making paper. The destruction of trees leads to soil erosion and species loss. Air pollutants such as nitrous oxide, sulfur oxide, and carbon dioxide are released during the paper making process, which contribute to acid rain and global warming. The bleaching process sends toxic chemicals like dioxins and chloroform into water supplies. The paper industry uses more water per ton of product than any other industry (Abramovitz & Mattoon, 1999). The transportation of lumber and finished paper products further contributes to pollution and energy consumption.