Past Campaigns

SEEJ Trees doesn’t just do campaigns.  We are a meeting place for those who want to learn and teach others how to better the world we live in.  We are an information source for what’s going on in the community.  We support each others’ projects and we form part of the broader sustainability movement.  But campaigns are our mainstay.  Here are a couple recent ones:

Tree-Free (‘04-‘06)

Overview:
Columbia University, as an enormous educational and research institution, consumes many millions of sheets of paper annually.  Traditional paper is made directly from trees cut from forests and turned into pulp.  100% post-consumer waste (pcw) paper is made from only discarded paper.  SEEJ campaigned to have the University implement a policy to switch to using only 100% pcw paper for most of its paper needs.  Columbia would be following in the footsteps of institutions such as Princeton, the University of North Carolina schools, Colgate, and others who have had success with their recycled paper policies.

Method:
The campaign was exhaustive.
We surveyed all undergraduate departments and several graduate schools on paper usage, because they would be the principal consumers of the recycled paper.  We asked them whether they’d be willing to switch, at what price increase, and whether they’d like to try out some of the tree-free paper.  Most departments were receptive.
Paper quality was a widespread concern.  To allay these worries, we worked with SEAS to help set up a test where each department received one case Boise Aspen 100 paper to use.  We then asked the departments for feedback at the end. The results of this test were positive.
Print Services ran a test as well, using its high-speed, high-volume machines.  The results were mixed, with some customers enthusiastic about the paper and others dissatisfied.
We needed to show student support to convince the University that students cared about buying recycled paper.  We gathered over 1000 signatures for the cause, and got student government support from the CCSC, ESC, Graduate School Advisory Council, Law School Student Senate, CC Class of 2006 Council, and SEAS Class of 2006 Council.  Throughout this campaign we had ongoing discussions with the Dean of Student and Administrative Services and the Purchasing Department.

Results:
The campaign was a partial success.  Although there was no commitment by the University to use tree-free paper, the recent contract through the Purchasing Office with Corporate Express provided for 30% pcw paper to carry the same price as virgin paper, thereby giving a dramatic incentive for departments to increase the recycled content in the paper they use.  100% pcw paper still carries a price premium.

Victoria’s Dirty Secret

SEEJ has a working relationship with ForestEthics.  As part of its campaign to make the catalog industry more sustainable in its forestry practices, ForestEthics recently targeted Victoria’s Secret in a campaign called Victoria’s Dirty Secret.  SEEJ, along with Barnard Earth, put heavy pressure on Victoria’s Secret to change where they got the pulp for their catalogs, and to increase the recycled content in them.  This campaign ended in a modest but groundbreaking agreement by Victoria’s Secret to protect endangered forests.
We are still working with ForestEthics as the paper campaign turns to new targets.