Sustainability
KU Information Technology is committed to the conservation of natural resources to promote an environmentally and fiscally responsible KU. We encourage responsible consumption and we implement services, applications and processes to promote more sustainable practices. For example, ImageNow and Adobe Sign both support digital workflows to reduce the need for printing and circulating paper documents. And, by requiring log in to release documents printed on the MFDs, we have significantly decreased paper waste.
As an organization, we responsibly manage old laptops, monitors and other equipment by reusing/repurposing or donating to non-profit organizations when appropriate. When equipment is obsolete and has no value to KU or non-profit organizations, we responsibly dispose of it through credible e-waste vendors. This keeps equipment and toxic materials out of landfills. We extend the e-waste service to all KU units, to ensure the proper disposal of equipment across the campus.
Computer Power Management
Power management involves changing the settings on your electronics so that they consume less energy. Some examples of ways to save energy are the following:
- Reduce your computer's idle time.
- Shut down instead of logging off.
- Unplug electronics when not in use.
Additional Resources
- Low Carbon IT Campaign FAQs (EnergyStar) Select to follow link
- Activate Power Management on Your Computer (EnergyStar) Select to follow link
- 10 Things to Know About PC Power Management (Greenbiz) Select to follow link
- How to Adjust Power and Sleep Settings (Microsoft) Select to follow link
- Set sleep and wake settings for your Mac (Apple) Select to follow link
- How to Change Mac Power Settings: An Energy-Saving Guide (MacKeeper) Select to follow link
eWaste Service
KU IT’s eWaste service provides a way for KU departments to securely and responsibly recycle obsolete, unused or unwanted computers and other electronic equipment. KU IT completely removes all sensitive and proprietary university or customer information from computers and thumb drives before disposing of them in an environmentally safe manner.
All KU campus departments should use this service to dispose of KU-owned and/or operated equipment.
Visit the eWaste service page to learn more about this service.
Personal/Home Equipment
Properly disposing of technology equipment at home is just as important as at work. Douglas County typically hosts at least one e-recycling event each year. Information on the e-recycling events and other environmentally responsible disposal options is available on the Douglas County website.
When disposing of an old computer, just deleting files isn't enough to protect your personal information because in many cases the files are still recoverable. You should either overwrite the data or physically destroy the storage device (e.g., hard drive, thumb drive, etc.)
Tips for protecting your personal data when disposing of an old computer: