SSS urges recycled
paper use

// news / daily - may 19, 2006

http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=20576&repository=0001_article
written by Anny Lin

Despite information enumerating the environmental perks of recycled paper, many University departments have not opted to use it. As a result, Students for a Sustainable Stanford (SSS) began a campaign this spring to convince department administrators to purchase recycled paper.

Prior to SSS’s push, only half of the approximately 800 separate paper purchasers on campus had been buying recycled paper.

According to Julie Muir, community relations manager at the Stanford Recycling Center, recycled paper uses post-consumer waste paper to make new paper, while virgin paper uses wood. Recycled paper not only conserves trees, but in comparison to producing virgin paper, saves energy and produces 74 percent less air pollution and 35 percent less water pollution.

SSS President Emma Yuen, a junior, said the group has approached this challenge a number of ways. The group first invited paper purchasers around campus to a lunch forum where they presented their case for recycled paper to administrators. They also contacted the individual departments not purchasing recycled paper to request time for a presentation during staff meetings.

“There is a lot of mistrust about recycled paper,” Yuen said. “People are afraid the paper will jam or create dust in their copy machines and printers. However, now they’ve perfected the quality of recycled paper so this will not happen anymore than it does with virgin paper.”

In order to demonstrate to holdout departments the quality of recycled paper, SSS is now sending hand-written letters to department administrators. Attached to the letter is a sample packet of six sheets of different types of recycled paper and a price list showing that they can purchase recycled paper at a lower cost than virgin paper.

Before being contacted by SSS, Andrew Morrow, administrative associate in the Department of Anesthesia, was unaware that his department was not buying post-consumer waste paper.

“I appreciated being contacted because I had already assumed that recycled paper was the default,” Morrow said. “In fact, we had not been buying recycled paper. Maybe before there was a reason not to, but I found out that recycled paper is cheaper and of good quality.”

Kay Wangelin, administrative associate of the Department of Petroleum Engineering, also learned through SSS efforts that recycled paper was the better choice. After receiving their information, Wangelin ordered one test ream and plans to order all post-consumer waste paper from now on.

“I learned that I could get the same quality and brightness for a little less money than regular paper,” Wangelin said. “In the past this has not been the case and SSS brought this to my attention.”

In total, Yuen reported that their efforts convinced over 50 departments to switch to post-consumer paper. SSS is continuing its push with departments who have so far resisted the switch.

“I am really glad there is a group of people on campus focused on the issue because it is very important to the success of recycling,” Muir said. “In order to make change happen and stick, people on campus need to be educated on the benefits of using recycled content paper and other products — this takes time and dedication.”