The new software will eventually lead to some major printing enhancements for students, including wireless printing from laptops and many mobile devices. By making students more aware of their printing, it will not only help save trees and reduce carbon emissions, but will also help reduce the wear and tear on college printers.

By summer session, Madison College will follow in the steps of all other technical colleges in Wisconsin. All students will receive an allotment of free prints, with subsequent prints to be purchased by students at an affordable cost to further encourage smart printing habits.

To emphasize the need to Print Smart, Truax library has also begun to collect printed paper left at the student printers in order to construct an Earth Day display. Stop by the library to see the stack of uncollected student prints rise every day. See our complete Print Smart campaign website to find tips and tricks to reduce your printing at libguides.madisoncollege.edu/print-smart.

Educational institutions, now more than ever, are looking for ways to manage campus waste beyond recycling. Recycling addresses materials already discarded, but only 45 percent of office paper and magazines are recovered in the process, according to the EPA. This emphasizes the importance of incorporating waste prevention or source reduction methods that can address the volume of waste before it hits the recycling bins.

By limiting the paper used by Madison College students to 300 sheets per full-time student, 46 trees could have been saved in 2012. Smarter printing choices can make an immediate impact on the reduction of waste and its effect on the environment. Let’s make a difference and Print Smart.