Reducing Paper Use at UL:
A Success Story 2007-2008



The University of Limerick was assigned the task of
identifying a stream of waste and then reducing it at source by
20%
It was part of a nationwide LAPD Programme (Local Authority
Presentation Demonstration) conducted by The EPA
“Waste should be viewed as a measure of failure and
inefficiency and not as an unfortunate but necessary by
product of products and services”….Anne Leonard, The Story
of Stuff.
Reducing Waste : The Waste Hierarchy
Paper Use Reduction’s Methodology
1st Task : was Gathering the Baseline Data
:“Can’t monitor what you cant measure” so a
baseline figure had to be calculated from
which a 20% reduction could be set.
2nd Task : Identifying paper pathways into the
University and identifying paper
consumption patterns
Paper Use Reduction
3rd Task : Figuring out practical ways of reducing paper
use on campus without comprising staff and students
roles at the University.
4th Task : Creating awareness for the project and getting
University staff and students on board with the ideas of
reducing paper use on campus.
5th Task : Re-calculating how much paper was consumed 18
months later and determining how much paper had been
saved, if any.
Paper Use Reduction
1st Problem Faced (a): “Can’t monitor what you cant
measure” ;How to begin calculating a baseline data of UL’s
paper consumption? : University consumed various paper
sizes and types, (A4 office paper, A2-A5 sized sheets,
booklets, posters, flyers, leaflets, envelopes, post-its etc).
Choosing one paper type to reduce by 20% was difficult.
Solution :
 Asked accounts dept/print room/computer labs and paper
suppliers what the most used/most purchased paper product
was. They answered… A4 paper.
Paper Use Reduction
1st Problem Faced (b)
Deciding how to calculate how much A4 paper the
University consumed annually.
Solution
How much A4 paper is the University purchasing each
year ?
 A : Ask accounts dept/print room/computer labs who is
supplying UL with paper and ask paper suppliers how
much paper they sell to UL each year.
 Then calculate the baseline data from submitted data.
 Answer ..25 million sheets of A4 paper.
Paper Use Reduction
2nd Problems Faced (a) :
Identifying A4 paper pathways into the University
Solution :
 Previously identified by asking accounts dept/print room/computer
labs who is supplying UL with A4 paper.
2nd Problems Faced (b) :
Identifying A4 paper consumption patterns
Solution :
 Identified patterns via waste audits : Several waste audits (waste
paper and general waste audits) were carried out determining how
A4 paper was being consumed and what was being disposed.
 Results would indicate volumes, types, and pattern of waste created.
Paper Use Reduction
Results of Waste Audits :
 Up to 94 kgs of general waste being created per building
per week.
 This 94 kgs included paper, glass, plastic, metals, textiles
and compostable waste.
 85% of the contents of mixed waste bins was waste paper.
(This indicated that waste paper required a designated
receptacle of its own)
 Of the waste paper disposed in general waste bins, 90% 95% of it was A4 paper printed single sidedly.
Paper Use Reduction
3rd Problem Faced :
Figuring out practical ways of reducing paper use without comprising
staff & students roles at the University.
Solution :
Results of waste audits indicated that paper was being consumed
wastefully. This was tackled by :
 implementing double sided printing and photocopying (an obvious
choice for paper reduction)
 reduce volumes of University related publications and promotional
literature, open day catalogues etc.
 request that student be allowed to submit/receive coursework
electronically where possible and submit/receive coursework
double sided if a hardcopy is necessary
 The solutions proved practical and effective without compromising
anyone’s ability to work or study
Paper Use Reduction
4th Problem Faced:
Creating Awareness for the Project and Getting
University staff and students on board with the
concept of reducing paper use on campus
Solution :
Explain to staff and students, via e mail and posters
 the aims of project, results of waste audits, what
waste audit results indicate, environmental impacts of
paper use and its disposal, why their participation is so
important and how they can easily participate.
Paper Use Reduction




5th Problem Faced: : Re-calculating how much paper was
consumed 2 years later and determining how much paper
had been saved, if any.
Solution:
Approach A4 paper suppliers already researched and ask
for following year(s) A4 paper sales figures, tabulate and
subtract from previous years figures.
Reduction in A4 paper purchased = actual paper saved
Paper Use Reduction
The achievements of the project :
The Primary achievement was reduction in paper
consumed/purchased on campus by 32%
How was this achieved :
 Implemented changes to University policy for
submitting course work single sided that reduced (and will
continue to reduce) paper consumption on campus.
 Increased Awareness of paper use on campus and its
environmental effects led to an additional reduction
of over 5.5 million sheets of paper
Paper Use Reduction
The achievements of the project (cont.)
University’s Ecological Footprint of its A4 paper use was
reduced by 32% or 8 million sheets of A4 paper or more
 The University’s made significant financial savings
through reduced A4 paper purchase costs (over
€40,000) and reduced landfilling costs. (Paper
Recycling Costs offset against Landfill Disposal Costs)
 Increased the amount of waste paper being recycled
by the University by diverting it from landfill (via
placing blue “waste paper only” bin at each desk in each
office across campus) and sending it for recycling.
Paper Use Reduction
The achievements of the project (cont.)
 IT dept, in turn, switched all student printers to print
double sided by default, saving more than 2.5million
sheets of A4 paper in the first year and is continuing to
reduce paper consumption.
 Less printing and photocopying going on so less
electricity used… less CO2 created
 Overall EF of University has been reduced, campus
becoming more sustainable through ….. policy change
and awareness..
Reduction of Other Waste Streams
Future plans :
 Reductions achieved in paper use can be used as a
template for any resource reduction project.
 The University are looking at possibly reducing waste on
campus using a similar approach i.e. targeting single use
items, such as coffee cups etc. and making better use of
waste i.e. composting food waste.
 Project is on-going as there are still areas of paper use that
must be revisited.