Spring Break
ResLife reduces paper product use to benefit environment and finances
by Harry Shipps
Budget Central | 2/24/09
Posted online at 7:41 AM EST on 2/24/09
The Department of Residence Life will no longer provide residents of Ziv Quad and Rosenthal Quad with toilet paper starting next year; three weeks ago, ResLife also instituted a trial cutback of paper towels in several communal bathrooms in an effort to increase sustainability and to save money in the face of the financial constraints facing the University, according to interim Co-Director of ResLife Jeremy Leiferman.
The University faces operating budget gaps ranging from $4 million in fiscal 2009 to $23 million in fiscal 2012.
Leiferman said he is not aware of any plans to make more changes in the vein of the cutbacks in toilet paper and paper towels, although he would not rule out the possibility that other changes may also take place.
Leiferman said that the University does not currently supply toilet paper for apartment areas including the Charles River Apartments, Ridgewood Quad and the Foster Mods. According to the 2009-2010 Room Selection Guide, students who choose to live in Ziv Quad or Rosenthal next year will be responsible for their own toilet paper. Leiferman said that the current policy of providing toilet paper to Ziv and Rosenthal Quad residents presents distribution challenges and that "students often don't use the toilet paper that we give them, and it sits and ends up piling up in the corners of suites." Feldman also said that the decision to no longer provide toilet paper in Ziv and Rosenthal was made before the economic crisis hit because students were not using the service. Brandeis will, however, continue to provide toilet paper for communal bathrooms and bathrooms shared by more than one room in the other residence halls in the upcoming years.
"[Facilities Services is] not looking to eliminate paper towel usage but [is] trying to reduce paper towel usage, and that's good for multiple reasons, both financially and environmentally," he said.
Some students said they believed the motivation behind the cutback in availability of paper towels is purely financial. Siddhartha Narayanan '12 said, "They're penny-pinching for no reason."
Leiferman alluded to the idea that the decision may have been influenced in part by recent cutbacks to facilities departmental staff and an effort to more effectively use the remaining staff.
Nathan Glassman '12 said, "I really don't care; it doesn't seem like that big of an issue."
Several students said they felt as though they were in the dark about these decisions. Glassman said, "One day I walked into the bathroom, tried to dry my hands and I couldn't; I was a little surprised."
"I feel like they should have some sort of vote or student input," Kyle Mangan '12 said.
Leiferman said that he was unable to comment on who was involved in the decisions regarding the cutbacks.
The University faces operating budget gaps ranging from $4 million in fiscal 2009 to $23 million in fiscal 2012.
Leiferman said he is not aware of any plans to make more changes in the vein of the cutbacks in toilet paper and paper towels, although he would not rule out the possibility that other changes may also take place.
Leiferman said that the University does not currently supply toilet paper for apartment areas including the Charles River Apartments, Ridgewood Quad and the Foster Mods. According to the 2009-2010 Room Selection Guide, students who choose to live in Ziv Quad or Rosenthal next year will be responsible for their own toilet paper. Leiferman said that the current policy of providing toilet paper to Ziv and Rosenthal Quad residents presents distribution challenges and that "students often don't use the toilet paper that we give them, and it sits and ends up piling up in the corners of suites." Feldman also said that the decision to no longer provide toilet paper in Ziv and Rosenthal was made before the economic crisis hit because students were not using the service. Brandeis will, however, continue to provide toilet paper for communal bathrooms and bathrooms shared by more than one room in the other residence halls in the upcoming years.
"[Facilities Services is] not looking to eliminate paper towel usage but [is] trying to reduce paper towel usage, and that's good for multiple reasons, both financially and environmentally," he said.
Some students said they believed the motivation behind the cutback in availability of paper towels is purely financial. Siddhartha Narayanan '12 said, "They're penny-pinching for no reason."
Leiferman alluded to the idea that the decision may have been influenced in part by recent cutbacks to facilities departmental staff and an effort to more effectively use the remaining staff.
Nathan Glassman '12 said, "I really don't care; it doesn't seem like that big of an issue."
Several students said they felt as though they were in the dark about these decisions. Glassman said, "One day I walked into the bathroom, tried to dry my hands and I couldn't; I was a little surprised."
"I feel like they should have some sort of vote or student input," Kyle Mangan '12 said.
Leiferman said that he was unable to comment on who was involved in the decisions regarding the cutbacks.
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