960 trees worth of paper printed by Durham University despite net zero goal

By Isla Mustin

Printing and photocopying at Durham University consumed over eight million sheets of paper between October 2024 and January 2025. This paper usage equates to over 960 trees. 

This figure comes as the University aims to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2035. However, printing and photocopying numbers have continued to increase annually. 

According to the University: “If a single lightbulb used the energy powered by Durham’s printing, copying and scanning, it would have been switched on in the year 1300.”

To address this issue, the printers and copiers across Durham have been accredited with HP’s CarbonNeutral award. This means that after estimating the total carbon footprint produced over the lifecycle of each device, HP offsets those emissions by funding certified environmental projects. 

Computing and Information Services (CIS) is also reviewing how the University’s paper is purchased, aiming to identify more cost-effective alternatives. 

During the upcoming months, CIS plans to assess the usage of printers, photocopiers and scanners across the University with the goal to remove unnecessary resources where devices are duplicated or rarely used.