Ricoh Collaborates with Columbia University to Reduce Emissions

Columbia University, and its onsite print shop Columbia Print, extends its partnership with Ricoh USA Inc. to enhance its environmental sustainability efforts. Experts from Columbia Print and Ricoh collaborate to reduce CO₂ emissions by nearly 34 tons—saving the equivalent of 1,617 trees—within two of the university’s departments.

Additionally, Columbia Print recently switched to 100% post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled paper for color prints and entirely tree-free paper for black-and-white applications.

“At an institution where world-class research on, and education about, sustainability is being conducted daily, we have a responsibility to put that knowledge to practical use,” says Miguel Pagan, executive director, administrative services, Columbia University. “We owe that to the many communities we touch, and Ricoh understands that sense of responsibility and pride.”

Ricoh helped Columbia analyze data within its Irving Medical Center’s School of Nursing and Department of OBGYN that ultimately led to a 70% reduction in CO₂ emissions due to more efficient device usage. This included a plan to reduce electricity use by triggering features such as a low-energy consumption sleep mode after a period of inactivity.

Columbia Print utilizes two RICOH Pro 8210s and RICOH Pro C7210sx Graphic Arts Edition platforms that handle sustainably sourced paper, empowering operators to continue to offer print while living up to their ideals. The RICOH Pro 8210s helped the university’s in-plant make the jump to tree-free paper on black-and-white jobs. Similarly, the RICOH Pro C7210sx Graphic Arts Edition helped smooth the change to 100% recycled PCW paper for color jobs. The transition to sustainably sourced paper yields additional savings of 70 tons of CO₂ annually.

“It is an honor to play a role in the ongoing innovation of such a historic institution as Columbia University,” says Renaud Rodrigue, partner executive, higher education, Ricoh USA Inc. “From the beginning of our working relationship, it was clear that we shared a passion for environmental sustainability and a sense of duty to use our expertise and resources to create a more sustainable world.”