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Printing

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Paper is a huge waste in a school - just think of all those pieces of homework you've had to do! With the advent of computers, the internet and printers, the amount of homework to be completed electronically has greatly increased. Consequently, the amount of printouts have also increased.

20% of Survey Respondants printed 150 or more pages per week!

As printers consume electricity, paper, ink and require regular maintenance, lowering their use is vital. At CRGS we use a system of Print Charging, in the hope of limiting printer use to necessary jobs, by charging the department or student for the cost of the document. Of course, each student is given an allowance.

54% of Survey Respondants did not consider whether their print jobs were necessary or not...

We use a system of charging as follows:

Document Duplex Status	Document Size	Document Type	Document Charge (per page)
OFF	A4	Greyscale	5 pence
		Colour	15 pence
	A3	Greyscale	10 pence
		Colour	30 pence
ON	A4	Greyscale	4 pence
		Colour	14 pence
	A3	Greyscale	8 pence
		Colour	28 pence

Table 1. Print Charging System at CRGS

Of course, students shouldn't have to pay for all their printing, and an allowance is provided as follows:

Year Group	Monthly Credit
7-9	£3.00
10-11	£4.00
12-13	£5.00

Table 2. Student Printing Credit Allowance Per Month at CRGS

Please feel free to use our printing charges as reference for your own system!

Now, this Printing System wasn't something the EcoLearning team could implement - the software requires maintenance, and would require a lot of approval. However, we did research the software itself, and discover an Environmental Impact feature.

The team requested that the software was upgraded to a version where we could use this feature. Now all students and staff can see their impact on the environment, and we can analyse the impact of each printer. We found this a great way to increase awareness.

If you use similar software: Why not look for an Environmental Impact option?

If not, why not consider getting such software, or monitor your paper use each time the printer is loaded?

Don't forget - use recycled paper or paper from sustainable forests! We do!