A Happy & Sustainable Halloween with YPPS

October 31, 2014

Yale trick or treaters were once again invited to President Peter Salovey and Marta Moret’s home in sustainable fashion. E-vites to the President’s Halloween celebration and costume contest, a longstanding Yale tradition, were designed by Yale Printing and Publishing Services (YPPS).

YPPS is happy to celebrate sustainability alongside Halloween. In fact, as part of their “ghoulish, greenish nature,” YPPS is currently in the process of becoming a Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) certified Chain-of-Custody vendor for the third year in a row, according to their recent newsletter.

By aligning with the FSC’s mission, YPPS supports a global movement to promote both responsible forest management and informed purchasing of forest products.

And because 80% of their stocks are FSC certified, there are no tricks, only treats when printing with YPPS. Clients can even add FSC logos to their print jobs to showcase their service to the environment.

Sustainability not only appears at YPPS with the witches and goblins of Halloween, but during all months of the year. “At YPPS, we’re all about sustainability,” said Jason England, Communications Officer at YPPS. “From our Halloween push to print on FSC certified paper to implementing PaperCut, we’re doing as much as we can to incorporate sustainability into all of our services.”

PaperCut, a computer software program designed to track and monitor printing, was launched in 2013. Since its introduction into the student printing space, PaperCut has been a key driver in Yale’s 16% reduction in its paper consumption over the last year, which is 6% above the 2016 goal laid out in Yale’s current Sustainability Strategic Plan.

“By requiring students to actively release printing jobs, PaperCut helps students be smarter about their printing,” said Jason England. “The results are proof that the software is serving its purpose.”

Avoiding unwanted print jobs is not only for students. “Before we print any job, it passes through a rigorous pre-production process involving a team of designers, editors, and printers,” said England. “We don’t want anything in the print room unless it’s ready for press.”

Double-sided, or duplex, printing is another strategy YPPS has employed to reduce paper waste on campus. All of YPPS’ BluePrint stations default to duplex and black-and-white printing.

YPPS offers even more uniquely sustainable services, from printing on biodegradable bags, to manufacturing pads from 100% reclaimed paper, to an electronic record retention service that allows offices and individuals to turn their paper piles into searchable electronic documents.

Even their packaging is eco-friendly and responsible. “We reuse the manufacturer’s packaging for shipping, which reduces our waste and eliminates the need to procure shipping boxes,” said England.

With all their sustainability efforts, YPPS is not only providing a valuable service to the Yale community, but making a positive impact on the environment.

“Today businesses must recognize the needs of corporations, society, and the environment—and that’s precisely what we’re striving for at YPPS,” said England.