Comparable Institutions Are Successfully Implementing Paper Policies

To: Tavey Capps

From: Ryan Hoecker

Re: Implementation of Duke Paper Policy

Date: 8/5/16

Duke University should implement a paper purchasing policy with the intention of increasing recycled content, specifically for copy paper. The majority of Ivy+ institutions[1] have executed similar policies to align their purchasing habits with their public sustainability goals. Vendors have been willing to work with such universities to minimize the price difference between virgin and recycled paper. Numerous studies have proven that 30% recycled content paper is as effective as virgin paper with less energy and resources required in production. Duke currently spends over $170,000 annually on paper. It would only cost an additional $9,500 to switch all copy paper purchases to the 30% recycled content option, effectively reducing over 10% of climate damage due to paper purchasing. Such a policy would help preserve natural resources and reinforce the campus commitment to environmental stewardship.

Comparable institutions are successfully implementing paper policies

Most Ivy+ schools have implemented green purchasing policies in accordance with their public sustainability commitments. Duke also has an extensive sustainable products policy, but has yet to enact specific strategies requiring recycled content paper. Under these circumstances, only 5.6% of acquired paper is recycled. Vendors recognize the shift towards green products and are working with institutions who have demonstrated interest to equate the price of virgin and recycled paper. Staples, Duke’s primary copy paper supplier, has developed such pricing methods for other Ivy+ schools. Duke will likely be able to reach a similar arrangement by implementing a policy which encourages departments to purchase recycled alternatives.

Recycled paper has similar capabilities and leaves a smaller environmental footprint

While there have been competing arguments regarding the energy necessary to manufacture recycled content paper, a recent study conclusively states that recovered pulp “consistently has the lowest relative environmental impact”, with deinked (recycled) paper using 0.21 CO2 equivalent less per kilogram when compared to virgin pulp (“Life Cycle Assessment” 11, 46-49). While the two paper types consume similar amounts of energy due to transportation, the pulping process of virgin paper uses more toxic chemicals and larger amounts of resources than the de-inking procedures in recycled paper. The quality of recycled paper has also greatly increased in recent years. Nearly all studies find that consumers can not differentiate between the two, and recycled paper research at the Library of Congress supports this claim (“Recycled Paper Research” 48). Recycled paper is plentiful on the supply side and constant access should not be seen as an obstacle. As at least 75% of all copy paper is recoverable, the U.S. could feasibly collect over 9 million more tons annually. By purchasing recycled content, Duke will contribute towards a decrease in energy usage while maintaining superior paper quality.

Source: Kinsella, Susan. Paperwork: Comparing Recycled to Virgin Paper. Rep. Environmental Paper Network, Apr.

2012. Web. 28 July 2016

Source: Dennings, Kelly. Availability, Performance, and Cost of Recycled Paper. Rep. North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention

and Environmental Assistance, 2005. Web. 28 July 2016.

Switchover costs are minimal and require few purchasing adjustments

One area that virgin paper is competitive in is price due to economies of scale and the current global demand for the product. However, switching all virgin copy paper purchases to its 30% recycled counterpart would require minimal capital and few procurement changes. Assuming no decrease in the recycled price from Staples, the switch would cost approximately $9,500 annually. 20% of Duke’s paper expenditures come from five departments[2], none of which purchase recycled content paper. Revising their individual purchasing habits would substantially impact the university as a whole. Most other paper purchases are thinly spread out over many departments. This policy change would not have a significant financial impact on the budget of the majority of departments. Sustainable Duke and Duke’s Office of Procurement are currently working with Staples to reformat paper purchasing options on Buy at Duke. By more prominently featuring the recycled option and providing straightforward instructions, many purchasing departments will easily be able to access it. Distributing educational information regarding the benefits of recycled paper will further solidify long-term sustainable purchasing habits across departments and provide a widespread framework for the policy implementation.

Switchover benefits align with student views and quantifiably reduce impact

The proposed policy would align with the student community’s underlying ethos while generating measurable effects to illustrate Duke’s environmental leadership. In 2014, Duke students recognized that the university’s e-print quota was considerably higher than that of other Ivy+ institutions and that only a small percentage of users were utilizing this amount of material. They formed a proposal centered on paper reduction and presented to Duke Student Government, successfully cutting each consumer’s allotment in half. Duke administration could support and enhance this student effort by requiring all copy paper have 30% recycled content. Even excluding other specialty types of paper, this switch would annually save the energy equivalent of powering 125 homes for one month. While this may not seem significant in the context of spend and resource use of the entire university, it has symbolic meaning. The significant factor is a psychological benefit that reinforces Duke as an example of sustainable operating practices and this initiative serves as a clear representation to the public of those goals in action.

Next steps for Duke

Due to the reasons outlined above, Duke should implement a policy that requires all copy paper purchased have a minimum of 30% recycled content. The Office of Procurement and Sustainable Duke should leverage this potential policy creation and behavior shift towards green purchasing to negotiate Staples’ price of 30% recycled content copy paper down to the cost of virgin copy paper. They should rearrange select Buy at Duke pages so that recycled content paper is easily identified or remove the virgin option all together. Duke should make departments aware of this policy shift, specifically the identified largest spenders, and provide educational information on the impact of purchasing decisions. Duke should communicate the policy change to the public to further enforce its commitment to environmental awareness.

Sources

Kinsella, Susan. Paperwork: Comparing Recycled to Virgin Paper. Rep. Environmental Paper Network, Apr. 2012.

Web. 28 July 2016.

Dennings, Kelly. Availability, Performance, and Cost of Recycled Paper. Rep. North Carolina Division of Pollution

Prevention and Environmental Assistance, 2005. Web. 28 July 2016.

Green In All Grades. Rep. A Green America White Paper, 23 July 2012. Web. 28 July 2016.

"Lifecycle Environmental Impact." Environmental Paper Network. N.p., 2014. Web. 28 July 2016.

Crawford, Mary. Duke Paper Spend FY2016. 2016. Raw data. North Carolina, Durham.

Life Cycle Assessment of Deinked and Virgin Pulp. Rep. no. 3224568B. ENVIRON International Corporation, Nov.

2012. Web. 1 Aug. 2016.

Recycled Paper Research at the Library of Congress. Rep. Preservation Research and Testing Division, Sept. 2014.

Web. 1 Aug. 2016.

"Paper Waste Facts." The World Counts. N.p., 13 May 2014. Web. 28 July 2016.

[1] The Ivy Plus Sustainability working group is a collection of universities committed to sharing solutions that include the implementation of innovative technologies as well as research and operational methodologies that advance our commitment to greenhouse gas reduction on our campuses.

[2] DCRI Facilities, Academic Technologies, Academic Services, PDC Ophthalmology, Duke University Press Center