Guidelines for sustainable printing of theses and papers

Since 2015, Luiss has strongly supported the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and has been committed to ensuring that each of its initiatives comprehensively and transparently respects the principles of Sustainable Development. One of its top priorities is the reduction of the environmental footprint of the services provided. This objective is closely linked to the observance of specific guidelines for sustainable printing, which can be consulted below.

Choice of paper:

• Products with EU EcoLabel certification.
• Use of PCW (post-consumer waste) and/or FSC (Forest Stewardship Certification) or PEFC certified paper
• 100% recycled paper obtained from consumer paper that meets the requirements of EN 12281:2002
• In the absence of certification, still choose paper processed without Chlorine and obtained through renewable energy.

Choice of ink:

• Inks with GreenGuard® Gold Certification.
• Environmentally friendly inks including vegetable-based inks such as soy or “flax ink” as opposed to the use of petroleum-based inks.

Choice of print format and fonts:

• Adhere to criteria for text formatting that can significantly reduce paper and ink consumption without compromising the reading experience. (Front/back printing - Format: 29x21 cm (A4) - Font: Century Gothic or Times New Roman - Size: 12 - Line spacing: 1.5 - Right margin: 1 - Left margin: 1.5 - Upper and lower margins: 1.25 - Paragraph spacing: no spacing, tab at the beginning of the paragraph).
• Avoid using Serif fonts.
• Use ink-friendly fonts such as Century Gothic, Garamond, Times New Roman, Courier, or even better EcoFonts (which can save up to 20% of ink).
• Print in grayscale instead of black to reduce ink consumption and minimize color printing whenever possible.

Additionally

• Opt for glue-free packaging of the final product and stitch the sheets together using non-synthetic fiber threads (e.g., consider using organic cotton). Avoid using plastic or ecopelle applications and inserts.
• Participate in projects dedicated to the total recovery of printer cartridges (e.g., ZeroZeroToner Project) or reforestation initiatives (e.g., PrintReleaf, Treedom) to offset the negative environmental impact of printing.
• Print with suppliers that have the Nordic Ecolabel, Der Blaue Engel, Umweltzeichen, or other environmental ISO Type I certification (ISO 14024), or possess an ISO Type III environmental product declaration, EPD (Environmental Product Declaration), compliant with ISO 14025, or have an ISO Type II “Regenerated” self-declared environmental assertion, compliant with ISO 14021.
• Avoid printing draft versions of the document.