What we are doing ...

A number of CEIT policies consider our impact on the environment.

• We now have a 4-year computer replacement schedule for all college computers. We do not dispose of computers unless warranted.
• We donate working equipment to an organization that sets up new computer labs for African communities. Any equipment that is not working is recycled through ERA.CA (Electronic Recycling Association) http://www.era.ca/.
• We return used toner cartridges for a credit to the College. These cartridges are reused, and therefore, do not end up in the landfill.
• We have printing limits for students, and we charge students for printing over their 300-page allotment, which encourages environmental consciousness and reduces environmental waste.

What we aim to do ...

But we know we can do more to reduce our energy footprint, and to that end, we have begun a number of strategies to reduce power consumption.

• For student labs and eventually, eClassrooms and workrooms, we are installing automatic hibernation software that will turn computers off at 11 pm and reboot them the next day when students come in to use them.
• We are phasing out overhead projectors and replacing them with new technology called visual presenters. Overhead rolls are not biodegradable and the overhead bulbs use more electricity than an LCD projector bulb. Visual presenters equal less waste and less energy.
• We are upgrading field-base and student printers to support double-sided (duplex) printing.

CEIT can be greener with your help. What you can do ...

The easiest thing you can do is to turn off your office computer, monitor, and attached (non-networked) printer when you are done for the day. Don't worry about turning off your computer during the work day because dormant computers will go into "sleep" mode which uses less power.

On weekends and overnight, shut your system down completely. To help you remember, we will be distributing "turn me off" stickers to all members of the college community. Reducing power consumption extends the life of computers and peripherals.

Go paperless, if possible.
Do you really need a printed copy for your files? Office 2007 has a build-in PDF generator. You can create a virtual filing cabinet on your computer. Contact the Help Desk if you need the Office 2007 generator installed.

Print double-sided.
Not sure if you have a printer that can print double-sided? Check your printer properties. Click the duplex or double-sided checkbox, if it's available. A grayed-out checkbox indicates your printer may not be capable of duplex printing or your printer driver may need to be upgraded. Please contact the Help Desk (local 5330) for assistance.

Reuse paper for draft printing.
Share an office? Consider printing off this helpful reminder and posting it near shared computers.

On behalf of CEIT (and the environment), our thanks...