Starting in the fall semester, all students will have a print quota, and they will have to pay for any pages beyond the print quota. Williams wants to reduce paper waste and costs, conserve energy, and minimize the environmental impacts associated with printing and paper use. A group with representatives from the Zilkha Center, the College Libraries, OIT, College Council and CEAC worked for much of last year to come up with a reasonable quota and to implement the program.

During the Fall '08, student printing alone accounted for the use of over 500,000 pieces of paper. At Williams a significant amount of paper is recycled which reduces environmental effects, but the negative impact of paper production, transportation, use and disposal is not eliminated. It is estimated that 40% of the solid mass in landfills is paper and paperboard waste in the US.

Some paper management initiatives have recently started on campus. For example, Williams is now stocking its printers with 100% post-consumer recycled paper, Human Resources department is offering online paystubs, the Controllers Office is moving toward electronic vendor payments, and Alumni Affairs and Development are increasing its use of high-quality recycled content paper for their publications and increasing their online distributions.

Several of the cost savings ideas submitted to the College recently encouraged finding ways to reduce paper use on campus and specifically cited the reduction of the proliferation of flyers and posters routinely distributed around campus. In response to these environmental and financial concerns, Williams will be enforcing printing allotments in the Fall of '09.

While printing documents that include readings, assignments, and homework is a necessary and important part of the education, we can develop more responsible printing practices.

Visit print.williams.edu for all of the details and frequently asked questions.