Of the 40 million pages of paper printed in UB's libraries last year, 8 million sheets were not picked up. If all the printed sheets of paper not picked up by students were stacked, it would be twice as tall as the Empire State Building. You could make 26 piles of it as tall as Clemens Hall.
Students pay for an unlimited supply of printed material through the comprehensive fee. However, many people use the university's printers to print hundreds of pages of non-academic materials. While lines are often long, people must recognize that their own actions contribute the problem and that this kind of a waste of paper is not only a financial but also an environmental liability.
The university spends $500,000 on ink and paper alone each year. Nearly 45 percent of the $738.25 mandatory student comprehensive fee goes toward technology costs. It is obvious that reducing the number of printed material that is not picked up is one way to reduce total costs.
Students should be educated on the workings of the printing system in the libraries. Computing and Information Technology cites many reasons for the overuse of printing resources, like students' tendency to re-print documents when they do not immediately print. This is a common error that could be reduced through the dissemination of information, perhaps through a lesson in UBE 101 or instructional signs near computers.
The use of clear signage should also inform students of accurate printer delays and what the printing privilege covers. If students should only print academic related material, it should be clearly displayed to deter such behavior.
Beyond the literal cost of the paper and ink required to print 40 million sheets of paper, students should consider the environmental resources they are consuming - not only the trees that must be harvested to make the paper but the energy resources to acquire them and the resulting air and water pollution from the whole process. The university does use 100 percent recycled paper in the printers on campus, which cuts down on this ecological devastation, but further reduction is always beneficial.
Students and the university should make and follow through on a commitment to recycling in all forms, beginning with reducing unnecessary printed-paper. Walter Simpson, university energy officer of UB Green said reducing waste is as important as recycling is. Students should re-evaluate their printing behavior, being conscious of the financial and environmental consequences. The university must work as well to curb excessive printing by educating the students about alternatives.
