Save Paper @ Pitt
Printing less reduces waste, saves energy, and just makes sense! Since 2019, paper use on campus has dropped by 70%. While these changes were driven by the pandemic, these continued reductions show that the Pitt community has embraced the change.
Annually, Pitt students are printing nearly 300 pages less per student at Pitt Print Stations than pre-pandemic. That’s enough paper saved in one year to stack cases as high as the Cathedral of Learning — more than two and a half times over!
In FY23 alone, Pitt students’ printing habits saved over 1000 trees, 918,000 gallons of water, and 771,000 lbs of CO2e, equivalent to taking 70 cars off the road for a year (EPN). Your sustainable choices are making a difference, and creating new, sustainable norms on campus.
Make the Switch to Digital
Pitt has many resources to help you go digital, including free software, equipment & discounts on technology, and training and support. Click the links below for details!
Online Learning & Software
- Canvas Learning Management System
- Microsoft Office 365 – free for Pitt students
- Microsoft Teams for collaboration & editing
- OneDrive/Box for file sharing & storage
- Free student software downloads
Trainings & How-Tos
Paper Reduction Tips
- Ask your professors to share slides, syllabi and assignments electronically – via Canvas LMS, OneDrive/Box, or email.
- Consider alternatives to postering such as video, interactive elements, or even QR codes to expand your presentation.
- Working a group project? Share your Microsoft Office 365 files and set your file to track changes to collaborate live, whether in person or remote.
- Take digital notes with Adobe Creative Cloud, OneNote, Notion, or GoodNotes.
- Need to get the word out? Submit your signage to share on Student Affairs digital screens throughout campus.
- Collect one-sided paper for printing one-sided flyers, when needed! How to load printed paper – RICOH and HP.
- If you must print flyers, go for half or quarter-sheets and use QR codes to link to more information online.
- Follow these tips for more ways to use Pitt’s online and digital alternatives to print.
- Double-check for errors and typos before printing. When you go through Pitt Print, you can delete the print job from your queue if you’ve found an error, before you release the job at the Print Station.
- Always double-check to select double-sided and black and white in settings, for when you must print.
Pitt Print Stations
Pitt IT manages over 80 student printers located in Student Computing Labs and Pitt Print Stations across campus (see the map above for locations). These shared devices save energy and reduce unnecessary prints.
Download the Pitt Print Client to access these networked printers across campus from your laptop or mobile phone, and click the link below for more information.
