By Danton Unger

Students at Red River College recycle paper as part of the Sustainability Office’s past project, Hall It. / UNGER

Imagine if we stacked every single piece of paper that Red River College used in one year. According to RRC’s blog, Red Goes Green, that tower would be made of 14 million pieces of paper and stand over 4000 feet tall.

The Sustainability Office has seen these facts and is doing something about it.

Starting this fall, RRC will be introducing new strategies for paper and energy reduction at their campuses.

Sara MacArthur, the director of sustainability at RRC, says students can look forward to contests and incentive programs to help promote resource reduction at the college. She says the college is still in the planning phase, so there will be more details to come.

This year the sustainability office is expecting to save 10 to 30 per cent of the college’s current print environment costs. To reach this goal, Whitney Crooks has been hired as a resource reduction specialist. Crooks will be heading many new strategies for reducing the amount of paper and energy used at our school.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” said Crooks on Red Goes Green. “We know that there’s a great culture of sustainability at the College.”

Fatima DeMelo, public services technician at The Roblin Centre and an RRC alumni, said the college’s sustainability has improved since her time as a student. She says there is less paper being wasted at the school on a daily basis.

Phuong Truong, a first-year student in the Business and Administration program, believes that the amount of paper the college uses yearly isn’t necessary.

“Everything we do now, we can do online,” said Truong. “We can study online, do everything online, do assignments online.”

The sustainability office encourages students to follow the Red Goes Green blog to stay updated. Starting this fall, Crooks will be leading a widespread consultation. Students will have the opportunity to give their feedback on the college’s sustainability and their input on where they want to see the school in the future. Red River College is looking forward to seeing what the Sustainability Office has planned this fall.