ANN ARBOR—Some14 million pieces of paper are used at University of Michigan campus computing sites each year, and a student group hopes that a pilot program will prove that those pieces can be made of 100 percent recycled paper.

Before such a change can occur, to ensure that the switch is economically feasible, the campus computing site located in the School of Education Building has agreed to test the paper, says Christopher Barbeau, Information Technology Central Services (ITCS) manager for marking engine technologies.

More than 300 members of the student environmental group EnAct wrote letters to ITCS expressing their concerns about the use of non-recycled paper in University computing sites. The letter writing led to an initial meeting with ITCS and EnAct.

Barbeau agreed to run a pilot project with the new paper in the School of Education computing site, to assess the problems or damages the new paper could cause. One of the major hurdles Barbeau foresees with a switch is that recycled paper generates dust; it’s not as clean or white as the paper now in use, and may cause printer repair costs.

“EnAct was instrumental in introducing me to Archie Beaton, a representative from the chlorine free products association, which found companies producing products with the requisite attributes,” says Barbeau. These qualities include being process chlorine free, having a high post consumer content, meaning that it is made completely from recycled paper and not new trees, and being provided by a company that is not violating Environmental Protection Agency laws.

Steven Krieger of Farmington Hills, Mich., co-facilitator of EnAct, compiled an analysis of the environmental impact of the switch to recycled paper. His work “provided the parameters by which M-Stores (through which ITCS-CCS purchases supplies) put out a request for bids,” says Barbeau. The time that it has taken to make a seemingly simple change was surprising to Krieger. “Dealing with the bureaucracy of the University has been time consuming. Things don’t always get done quickly.”

However, he added, “ITCS has not been a pain. They want to do this project, if it’s feasible for them. We are working together on it.”

Getting the University to switch paper is not EnAct’s only credit. The group has taken part in the Dirty Jobs Boycott, in which students across the country sent letters to companies saying that they would not work for them unless they cleaned up the environment. They took part in a nationwide boycott against Home Depot, which resulted in Home Depot’s ending their practice of using old growth wood in products.

EDITORS: For more information, contact Steven Krieger at (734) 327-0634 or Chris Barbeau at (734) 763-4973.

computing sitesEnActEnvironmental Protection AgencyM-Stores