Sustainability In the Office:
Paper Conservation
UCOP Safety Training
June 2009
Sustainability and UC
“Sustainability refers to the physical development and
institutional operating practices that meet the needs of
present users without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs, particularly with
regard to use and waste of natural resources.”
- UC Board of Regents, June 2003
Sustainability established by The Regents as an
institutional priority for the University of California
Sustainability and UC
Presidential Policy on Sustainable Practices
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/sustainability/policy.html
Annual Sustainability Report to Board of Regents:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/sustainability/reports.html
UC recognized as a national leader in campus sustainability
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/sustainability/awards.html
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Received dozens of awards, including state’s highest environmental honor (UCI)
UC “in a league of its own” according to Sierra Club’s second annual ranking of top
ten greenest universities.
Sustainability at UCOP
LEED-EB Silver Certification
1111 Franklin – Certified as a green building for operations and maintenance practices (2007)
Grassroots Initiatives
UCOP Energy Pledge (introduced 2008)
• 50% reduction in appliances left on overnight
Reuse Center (introduced 2008)
• Every first Friday of the month in 1111 Franklin
• Over four tons/ $15,000 of office supplies diverted from landfill since June ’08
• Made possible by Building Services- Space & Relocation Management
Community Supported Agriculture (introduced 2007)
• Subscription service; local, organic vegetables delivered weekly
Sustainability at UCOP
Earth Day, 2009: 10 Steps to a Greener OP
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10-point plan initiated by the Executive Vice President - Business Operations
Includes improvements to building metering and lighting systems and conservation
initiatives
Measures are expected to save about $30,000 per year
Complete plan available here:
www.universityofcalifornia.edu/sustainability/ucopsustain.html
Paper Conservation
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1ST item in UCOP Sustainability Plan: reduce paper consumption by 10% in 2010
Would save $7,600 dollars* and prevent the release of 15 metric tons of greenhouse
gasses.
Five easy steps that everyone can take
Conserving Paper at UCOP
Five Easy Steps
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Print to networked printers and copiers, whenever possible
Print and copy double-sided as the default
Shrink the default margins in MS Word
Purchase paper with a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled
content
5. Think before you print
Complete step-by-step guide available here:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/sustainability/documents/savepaper.pdf
Step 1: Print to Copy Machines
How:
1. Simply select your networked copier from the printer queue (see below)
Why:
1. Reduce costs: 2-3 times more
expensive to print on printers than
copiers.
Quality is comparable for most
jobs
2. Improve Office Occupant Health
• Desk-side printers release harmful
compounds; copiers are isolated
in ventilated spaces
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Taking breaks to collect
documents from centrally located
copiers reduces the risk of
repetitive motion injuries.
Step 2: Print & Copy Double Sided
How: Printing
Set your computer to default to 2 sided
printing:
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From the Start menu, select “SETTINGS”
Go to “CONTROL PLANEL”
Choose “PRINTERS AND FAXES”
Highlight your desired printer
Choose “SELECT PRINTER PREFERNCES”
Choose 2-sided (or “duplex”) Printing
Press APPLY then OK to save setting
How: Copying
Why:
Make sure that you are at the Main
Copying Menu:
By printing & copying double-sided,
you will lessen your environmental
impact and save money by
drastically reducing the amount of
paper you consume.
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Choose 1  2 sided if your original
document is one-sided
Choose 2  2 sided if your original
document is two-sided
Press Start
Double-sided printing & copying is
appropriate for most jobs.
Step 3: Shrink Margins in MS Word
How:
1. Open Microsoft Word. Select FILE from the Menu Bar, and then PAGE SET UP.
2. Click on the MARGINS tab, and fill in your TOP, BOTTOM, LEFT and RIGHT
margin settings.
3. Recommended settings are .75” for TOP and BOTTOM margins and .5” for LEFT
and RIGHT margins.
4. Then click on the DEFAULT button (it's on the bottom left).
5. You'll be prompted: "Do you want to change the default settings for the page set
up? This change will affect all new documents based on the normal template."
6. Click YES.
Why:
Reduced Costs & Environmental Impacts
By shrinking default margins, you will lessen your environmental impact and save money by
drastically reducing the amount of paper you consume.
Reduced margins are appropriate for most documents.
Step 4: Use Recycled Paper
How:
1. For everyday printing and copying, departments should order OfficeMax Aspen paper
with a minimum of 30% post-consumer content. Product numbers and pricing available
at: http://www.ucop.edu/purchserv/psa_db/pubregisterindex.php?mode=1&id=142
Why:
1. Reduce costs: OfficeMax Aspen paper with a
minimum of 30% post-consumer content is
cheaper than equivalent paper with no
recycled content
2. Reduced impact: manufacture of recycled
content paper uses fewer trees and is less
energy and waster-intensive than the
manufacture of conventional paper.
3. We said we would: UC policy commits the
University to purchasing paper with a
minimum of 30% post-consumer content
100% of the time.
Step 5: Think Before You Print
A Couple Tips:
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Use print preview to ensure you are using the minimum number of pages;
adjust margins or font-size to avoid printing a page with only one or two
lines of text.
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Electronically distribute meeting materials (especially PowerPoint
presentations) before or after an event.
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If you must distribute hard copies of PowerPoint presentations, print more
than one slide per page, print double-sided, and print in grayscale or
black & white
Questions?
• For more on the UCOP Sustainability Plan:
www.universityofcalifornia.edu/sustainability/ucopsustain.html
• For more on UC System-wide Sustainability initiative
www.universityofcalifornia.edu/sustainability/
• Visit the Sustainability Table at First Friday Breakfast