Paper Reduction Campaign
The Maricopa Community Colleges's Paper Reduction Campaign has reinforced its commitment to sustainability with a year long effort with a goal of cutting paper use by 10% across the district. The campaign, which began on Oct. 26, 2011, Campus Sustainability Day, is just one of many the District and its 10 colleges are conducting to support sustainability.
In an organization the size of the Maricopa Community Colleges – one of the largest educational institutions in the United States – a 10% reduction is significant. The organization is estimated to use roughly 620,000 pounds of paper a year in its various activities. This accumulates to approximately 113,000 reams of paper stacked about three and a half miles high.
The goal is to obtain 10,000 paper-reduction pledges over the course of the campaign. Students and employees of the Maricopa Community Colleges are being asked to pledge to reduce paper use throughout the year.
“Our District and its colleges are committed to sustainability and to paper reduction,” said Chancellor Rufus Glasper. “I’m inviting all our students and employees to make a commitment to sustainability by making their pledge.”
Rio Salado College and the Maricopa Community College District have formally committed to sustainability by signing the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), a pledge on the part of the Chancellor, faculty and staff of the District to take into account environmental responsibility, social justice and equity and economic viability. In December 2008, the District’s Governing Board also passed a resolution affirming its commitment to sustainability.
As part of the District’s commitment, sustainability efforts have been developed across the organization, some of which include trip reduction efforts, recycled waste programs, and a pilot program aimed at measuring sustainability outcomes – Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) at two colleges,one of which is Rio Salado College.
To learn more about Sustainability efforts at Rio Salado College, go to: http://www.riosalado.edu/about/news-resources/sustainability/Pages/default.aspx