The UNIVERSITY of VERMONT J. Michael Gower Vice President for Finance & Administration and University Treasurer April 21, 2006 MEMORANDUM TO: The University Community FROM: J. Michael Gower RE: Switching to Recycled Copier Paper In celebration of Earth Day, April 22, 2006, and with support from President Fogel, I am pleased to announce that the University of Vermont is switching to 100% post-consumer recycled, chlorine-free paper for routine use in copiers and printers. This policy reflects our goals as a leading environmental university and is informed by significant research carried out by the UVM Environmental Council. The paper is available for on-campus delivery through the University's Procurement Services. Copier paper is the most common paper purchase at the University. Buying recycled paper rather than virgin paper conserves natural resources and supports markets for recycled waste paper. From the work of the Environmental Council, we know that replacing virgin paper with recycled paper will save trees, curtail greenhouse gasses, and keep solid waste out of the landfill. The Rubenstein School and Bailey-Howe Library along with other departments have responded to student requests and have been using 100% recycled copier paper for several years. The paper has proven its quality and performance and is now available at a competitive price. I would especially like to thank undergraduate students Natalia Fajardo and Taylor Lalemand for working with UVM staff to evaluate this switch to 100% recycled paper. With help from Procurement, these two interns interviewed budget managers and found widespread staff support for environmentally responsible purchasing, even with some price increase for the paper. Thanks to the Environmental Council for sponsoring this project, to Procurement Services and Print & Mail Services who helped with the analysis, and to all staff, students and faculty who have led and supported the development of this important new campus-wide environmental policy. For more information about buying recycled paper and tips for reducing paper use, see the Procurement website at http://www.uvm.edu/~procure. ______________________________________ J. Michael Gower Vice President for Finance and Administration & University Treasurer The University of Vermont [log in to unmask] 802-656-0219 802-656-1363 fax