About paper

Quoted from Greening the Urban Campus, page 34---

Recycled Paper

The University purchases somewhere close to 3 million sheets of paper per yearthrough Purchasing Services, while the computer labs alone are estimated to go through15 million sheets yearlyc. Still, this represents a significant reduction over past years;since 2004, the total amount of paper acquired through Purchasing Services has declinedby 27 percent, perhaps due to increasing use of blackboard as well as third-partyprinting.In 2003, the NYU Senate passed a resolution recommending that all departmentsuse 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper. The following year, the amountspent on recycled paper by the University increased by a third, to nearly 75 percentd.But since then, the amount spent on recycled paper has decreased every year, as theamount of non-recycled or “virgin” paper has increased (see graph below). Because thepaper policy was merely a recommendation issued by the Senate, rather than an administrativemandate, it carried no authority, and many departments continue to use virginpaper despite the fact that it offers no cost or performance differential.

It is important to note, however, that even recycled paper contains significantenvironmental impacts: the recycling process involves extensive bleaching, and involvesmany toxic chemicals. The most sustainable paper strategy would:

• Reduce paper use through awareness campaigns, online distribution and doublesidedprinting (see Indicator 4.1, Recommendation 4.A)
• Require the purchase of FSC-certified paper, which ensures that the paper stockcame from sustainably managed forests (see Indicator 4.2, Recommendation4.A).