Students' Eco-print campaign making positive changes on campus

The challenge set by the NPower Future Leaders Challenge competition was for participating teams to identify and develop a project to encourage sustainability in their community. Since September the Exeter team have worked on a project to promote eco-printing across the University campus. One of the main aims has been to encourage staff and students to print double sided in order to reduce the amount of resources used. Brianda Bugge-Mahrt, student and team member said: "With projects like this it is the community approach that helps to make it a success. By everyone doing their bit it soon multiplies and creates a positive impact on the environment."

The team have made significant progress throughout their campaign to change the working habits of the University community. Staff from the College of Humanities, the Business School and the Psychology department have all implemented the proposal in their college policies. The project has also received support from several heads of departments including IT and the University's Sustainability Manager. Karen Gallagher, Sustainability Manager, commented: "It is really motivating to see what a difference the team have made in just a few months. The University is committed to promoting the reduction, re-use and recycling of all materials we use, I wish the team the best of luck."

The campaign has used a variety of media, from posters near printing points to instructions in the library on eco-printing, pens with the slogan "remember...eco print!", an article in the Exepose student newspaper as well as a Facebook page.

Nationally, the team have already reached the top eight in the NPower Future Leaders Challenge after coming second in a recent team-building event on Dartmoor. The final of the competition will be held in early December.