Taking the Leap: Going Paperless

Going Paperless Since 2006 the Center has had an internal goal to reduce or eliminate the use of paper.

That’s quite a challenge for an educational institution accustomed to producing 2” to 4” binders for program participants, to say nothing of corridors filled with dusty files regarding all our programs and efforts since our founding in 1992.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Some of the steps we have taken:


  • Taken advantage of modern technology.
    • We adopted the use of online project management tools, such as Basecamp (www.basecamphq.com) which help keep track of all the zillions of program details online. We hide our post-its now! And only use them when we have to have a sticky piece of paper, which is not that often.
    • We created an electronic archive, and have gradually, with the help of volunteers, scanned our old program files and stored them neatly away in dust-free electronic folders.
  • Reduced or eliminated paper at our trainings.

Following the lead of the American Dietetic Association, we reduced our 4-inch Food As Medicine syllabus down to a 1” spiral bound book in 2007, and went totally paperless in 2008. This was not without its, shall we say, bumps. But, while some attendees were uncomfortable with the switch, many others were with us all the way, and cheerfully adapted. Many found they did not require a printed copy at all. Those who felt they required it printed the binder, or the portions they needed, themselves.

Who & what benefited or improved?

  • The planet. Our 2008 binder would have been 280 pages printed double-sided. Multiplied by 375 copies (attendees + faculty), 105,000 pages of paper would have been used. That’s a savings of 12 trees, 10,664 gallons of water (to produce the paper), and approximately 3,000 pounds of greenhouse gases, which is the equivalent of more than 3 months of car exhaust. (http://www.printgreener.com/earthday.html).
  • The attendees. By saving on printing and (massive) shipping costs, the Center was able to lower the cost of the program in 2008, making it accessible to many more people. Those who wished to print the binder could do so with the electronic syllabus we sent ahead of time, and bore the cost of the printing individually rather than adding to the cost of the program for everyone.
  • The educational environment. Faculty and alums of previous programs noted that the audience listened better. Rather than riffling through the binder making sure they were on the right page, attendees tended to listen carefully and take a few brief notes where required, secure that all the information was in their electronic file for review. Some brought lap top computers (we provided power cords). Even newcomers to the program commented that they found it easier to absorb the information than at previous, paper-laden conferences. We had no way of predicting this, but we celebrate the results!
  • The Center’s peace of mind. We believe in walking the walk, and we want to walk lightly on the planet. We’re glad we can make a difference.
  • Reduced or eliminated paper marketing materials

Over the past 3 years, the Center has reduced quantities of program brochures mailed from 70,000 to 5,000 per program. At it’s peak of 70,000, the brochures were multiple page booklets. What have we done instead? Increased electronic advertising, including our new monthly e-newsletter, which we always try to make valuable to the reader by including helpful information. And from time to time we attend conferences and share information about our programs in person. We enjoy meeting people! All of this at a slight fraction of the cost previously spent. And we love picturing all those living trees….