Sustainable IT

In an effort to dispose of equipment and other materials in an environmentally responsible manner, the ITS Department is involved in the following recycling activities:

• Establishing institutional recycling of all unusable equipment to an EPA approved recycler.
• Ensuring that all ITS printer cartridges are returned to be properly recycled.
• Establishing a pay-for-print solution in all Academic Computing Labs to help students make environmentally friendly choices about printing and significantly reduce paper waste.
• Recycling any excess paper from student computer lab printers.
• Transporting hazardous material, such as projection bulbs and UPS batteries, to a recycling facility for proper disposal.

The ITS Department has also implemented equipment, policies, and procedures to reflect a conscious choice about green computing:

• Energy Star products are purchased as the University standard for desktops and laptops.
• LCD monitors, reducing display energy by about 60% compared with CRT monitors, have become the University standard.
• TitanNet University computers are shut down at midnight each night to conserve energy.
• Display monitors are set to automatically turn off after 15 minutes of inactivity. Computers are set to automatically sleep after one hour of inactivity.
• Dimmed lighting in the Quad Commons lab.
• Virtualizing servers as available reducing hardware and power needs.
• Move toward centralized printing where possible.
• Eliminated many administrative and academic paper reports.
• Created the environment that eliminated paper timecards.
• Created the environment that provided for direct deposit pay.
• Created the environment where announcements can be made electronically instead of on paper or mailings.
• Created the environment that provided for a paperless admissions application process.
• Created the environment that eliminated grade mailers, paper bills, and other common mailings.
• Created the environment that eliminated printed purchase requisitions.

Please send any additional suggestions to its@udmercy.edu.