By: Jess Larkin ~Copy Editor~

In Fall 2014, the Newswire reported an on-campus sustainability effort known as the “Cut Back, Don’t Cut Down” campaign that encouraged students to print fewer pages. The print management campaign aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of Xavier students by encouraging more mindful printing and less wastefulness.

The print management team estimated that, last year alone, Xavier students printed more than four million pages. This large number led to the estimate that 525 trees were cut down to fulfill that demand.

Students were individually emailed with information regarding their own printing habits during the Fall 2014 semester. The team specifically targeted majors with a high volume of printed materials, namely occupational therapy (OT).

OT students printed an average of 1,000 sheets per student. OT and other majors guilty of frequently printing were encouraged to digitize their curriculum to reduce the amount their students print.

“Printing was a good way to raise awareness about environmental issues because most students print paper for the various classes they are taking, thus showing that we are all a little bit responsible for the actions we take in regards to the environment,” print management team member Taylor Roberts said. “This is an important campaign to continue because it makes students more aware of their environmental footprint.”

The goal for the team was to reduce the number of pages printed by five to 10 percent by Earth Day in 2015. Data was collected from the spring of 2014 and compared to the spring of 2015. Overall, printing was reduced by 93,170 pages (more than 18 boxes of paper), which equates to nearly 10 pages per student.

“Sustainability initiatives are happening in different areas all around campus,” Maggie Rodriguez, another team member, said. “Being conscious of our paper consumption and subsequent waste is not only about saving money. As a Jesuit university, our community is concerned with how we care for the world around us. Cutting back on printing positively impacts the environment.”

Due to the success of the campaign, the print management team will partner with Sustainability Club for the 45th annual Earth Day event. The Team will be in the CLC on April 22 to showcase the success of the printing campaign. Donuts and coffee will be provided to students and faculty.