Digital Smart LSE

Making the most of digital solutions to reduce our reliance on printing and business travel as part of creating a #SustainableLSE

"Embracing Digital Smart ways of working helps us collaborate more effectively and reduces our environmental impacts."

Andrew Young, Chief Operating Officer

 

How can I be Digital Smart?

  • Keep it on the screen
  • Collaborate online
  • Rationalise
  • Think before you buy

grey image of a blank desktop

Keep it on the screen

Working and collaborating on digital documents by default, reducing the need to print

How can you reduce printing?

Staff:

  • Start by having a team discussion to make everyone aware of the benefits of being Digital Smart and identify if any further training or support is required to improve these skills

  • Continue to hold paper-free meetings when back on campus

  • Make a list of the type of documents that get printed and find ways to keep these digital

  • Consider if there are any internal or external facing business processes that involve printing documents and whether these could be updated to digital

  • Being conscious of your paper consumption is a key step in reducing usage. To view your departments printing data, click here.

Students:

  • Are you able to submit work digitally? If not, ask!

  • See the list of useful software and information below

Useful software and information

Recommended printer settings:

  • Black and white

  • Double-sided

  • 2 pages/sheet printing

  • Specify page range to print

  • Check preview before printing

  • Scale e.g., 'fit to one page'

 

 

collaborate online

 

Collaborate online

Attending and organising meetings and events online rather than travelling

Training and software

Digital Skills Training

Useful software 

Collaborating online helps us reduce our travel related emissions

If you must travel for work, remember to choose the most sustainable option and to book your journey through the School's travel management company (Diversity).

 

rationalise logo with three arrows and three dots forming a continuous circle

 

Rationalise

Reducing the need for multiple physical devices, eg desktop printers

Embracing blended working

Phase out desktop printers

Desktop printers use more resources and therefore have a much higher environmental impact than multi-functional device printers e.g., buying multiple devices, using more energy and ink, generating cartridge waste, they are also higher maintenance with a lower life expectancy.  

  • Individual desktop printers are being gradually phased out as a School wide policy, and new desktop printers are only purchased on an exceptional basis using the desktop printer request form

  • You can arrange for your unwanted desktop printers to be collected by contacting estates.porters@lse.ac.uk

Transition to softphone

Softphone software programmes allow you to make external phone calls using a general purpose computer, removing the need for a physical desk phone or mobile.

  • DTS' guidance on using MS Teams Softphone

  • Speak to your Department or Division Administrator to find out more

 

think before you buy icon (empty shopping cart)

 

Think before you buy

Replacing e-devices on a  demonstrated need basis,  eg  mobile phones

Reduce, reuse, recycle

The main environmental impact of electronics occurs during their manufacture as they contain rare and valuable materials (particularly mobile phones).

  • Look after and make the most of your existing devices to prolong their life

  • Carefully consider your needs before purchasing electronic devices

  • Students can recycle electronic waste at LSE Careers on the 5th floor of the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre

  • To recycle LSE e-devices, arrange a collection from LSE Porters

 

Making Digital Smart inclusive

Some colleagues and students may need to use printed materials or make adjustments to their digital experience for various reasons including visible and invisible disabilities.

Digital Smart campaign resources

Digital Smart: printing and travel data

In 2018/19 we:

  • Printed 12 million pages of paper (equivalent to c1,200 trees or 546 tonnes CO2e)

  • Emitted 3,344 tonnes CO2e travelling across the world, mostly a result of air travel

  • Generated over 18 tonnes of electrical and electronic waste