Keeping our campus clean and green is often disregarded when time is a constraint. Often when we lose track of time and have to appear on campus, we opt to drive ourselves instead of walking, biking or taking public transportation.
It’s also a trend of busy college students to overlook the option of printing class readings and assignments double-sided when pressed for time. The Carolina Computing Initiative charges $0.10 for each typed page, meaning a page with content on both sides costs $0.20 — therefore, currently, there is no financial incentive for students to use two-sided printing.
Without any incentive, the decision to print dual-sided pages relies entirely on the environmental consciousness of students. While not a definitive step to curb the overuse of resources, CCI should consider charging students at a lower cost per page if they opt to print double-sided since that measure is more evironmentally friendly.
It is impossible to avoid waste and subsidizing the cost of printing is only one method in a series to consider to reduce waste. Professors should also encourage students to print double-sided from the start of the semester.
Students would use less of their CCI allotment leaving enough available for end-of-the-semester final papers, study guides and projects. Along these same lines, students would be less likely to neglect printing rubrics and other guides if their budget for printing was not as limited.
Allowing students to use tablets and laptops to reference class-specific readings should also be considered. Very small steps can be taken to keep our Tar Heel footprint clean and green, and it starts with individual efforts.
