Audit finds significant reduction in printing

Reducing paper consumption is just one of the many ways that Concordians are making an eco-friendly difference.

Concordia may not yet have paperless offices, but a new audit shows it's moving in the right direction. | Photo by Concordia University

The university, which recently completed its first self-audit of bulk printed matter intended for external use, decreased its overall printed output to 58 tonnes in 2011-12 from 89 tonnes in 2005-06. That’s a drop of 35 per cent.

Departments including the Examination Office, Advancement and Alumni Relations, and John Molson School of Business showed significant reductions of printed materials.

The audit, known as Éco Entreprise Québec’s Municipal Recycling Data Collection, is required by the Government of Quebec’s Environment Quality Act, and is intended to assess taxes owed by producers of recyclables to subsidize municipal recycling.

In order to reduce Concordia’s environmental impact, and considering the steep increase in the audit tax rate since 2005, departments are encouraged to explore options for reduction. These include:

•    Replacing printed information with digital information
•    Printing on both sides of paper (double-sided)
•    Reducing the size and weight of printed material

Departments are also encouraged to use 100-per-cent post-consumer recycled paper, which provides a 20-per-cent credit toward the Eco-Entreprises tax rate on those items. This credit would offset the additional cost of the paper over non-recycled paper.

The positive ecological impact of using 100-per-cent-recycled paper are also significant. In 2011, 58 tonnes of paper were printed for external use at Concordia. Using 100-per-cent-recycled paper would save 232 tonnes of wood, 54,000 kilograms of CO₂ and 2.5 million litres of water.

The next audit will take place as early as this fall, pending the yet-to-be-announced submission date from the Eco Entreprises program. To facilitate the process, departments will be provided with a template for data collection and are encouraged to track their printed output for external use.

Related links:
•    “Mandatory recycling audit set to begin” — NOW, November 14, 2012
•    Environmental Health and Safety
•    Éco Entreprises Québec
•    Environmental Paper Calculator Version 3.2
•    Advancement and Alumni Relations
•    John Molson School of Business