Paper is part of our everyday lives and we should use it wisely. We may not always consider that paper production, distribution, use, and disposal require a large amount of energy and raw materials.
Streamlining systems through efficient tools like online platforms or apps minimize unnecessary use and waste. Choosing recycled content paper made by companies that support responsible forest management also contributes to wise use.
Consider the additional costs associated with paper use:
- Financial costs of items used in conjunction with paper, such as printers, printer ink, paper clips, folders, and pens
- Storage costs
- Time and energy to file and find paper documents
The below graph shows the total copy paper purchasing patterns at Yale.
Best Practices
Online programs and platforms allow you to store, share, and sync notes across devices, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and phones.
- Through Microsoft OneDrive, you can store files in the cloud and share files with others in the Yale community.
- In Outlook, you can create, share, and assign tasks to colleagues.
Meetings
- Circulate materials in advance and let participants know you will not provide hard copies.
- Use a projector and laptop or electronic display to project the agenda and other important documents.
- Consider holding a remote meeting via video conference, using Zoom. Here are instructions for how to install and use Zoom.
- Encourage participants to use their laptop or device to take to take and refer to electronic notes and emails.
- Tip: Use a network drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or Microsoft Teams to share files, so meeting participants can access relevant files on their laptops during meetings. You can edit notes and documents from OneDrive/Teams in real time.
Events
Event planning and management tools make paperless events easy!
- Attendees can register and submit payments for conference fees online.
- With mobile apps, attendees can view agendas, download session content, and interact with other attendees.
- Conference organizers can communicate with attendees prior to the event (e.g. to send agendas and info) and after the event (e.g. to conduct online surveys).
- Tip: For detailed information on how to hold a green event, check out our Green Event Certification!
Newsletters and Communications
- Consider using an e-newsletter program with customizable templates and drag-and-drop editing, which can also manage email distribution lists, integrate with social media sites, and analyze results (e.g. track opens, clicks, forwards, and more).
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Viva Engage a Yale-specific social networking platform that facilitates discussion between community members. If you need a Viva Engage community created you can contact the ITS Help Desk at 203-432-9000 to submit a request. A Yale email enables you to join Yale groups, receive notifications, and follow topics.
If you have to print
- Only print pages you need.
- Increase margins and reduce font size.
- Printing in black and white is preferable; color toner is more expensive and has a greater environmental impact than black.
- Set printers to default to double-sided.
- Use print preview to avoid printing unnecessary pages.
- Print multiple pages per sheet in Adobe Reader, Word, and PowerPoint.
- To save costs on toner/ink, consider fonts that use less ink, such as Century Gothic or Garamond.
- Recycle toner cartridges when empty.