The University of Malta is continuing its transition toward a more sustainable and digitally integrated campus. Our recent successes—including WISEflow for exams, online assignment submissions, and digital theses—have already proven that we can maintain high standards while significantly reducing our environmental impact.

As part of our Strategic Plan for Sustainability, we are now turning our attention to our daily office operations. We have found that the reliance on paper creates a "hidden" administrative burden that goes far beyond the cost of a single sheet. This includes:

• Resource Intensity: The cumulative cost of desktop printer hardware, specialised ink, and stationery (folders, clips, etc.).
• Space & Storage: The significant campus footprint required to store physical archives.
• Time & Efficiency: The administrative hours spent manually filing, organising, and retrieving paper documents.

To address these challenges and redirect our resources toward core academic goals, we are introducing the following updates:

• Transition to Shared Infrastructure: To reduce maintenance costs and hardware waste, we are prioritising high-volume, shared printers located within your immediate office areas or buildings. These units are faster, more energy-efficient, and more cost-effective. Moving forward, the purchase of new individual desktop printers will be restricted in favour of these shared hubs.
• Digital-First Document Management: We are moving away from traditional photocopying. To minimise paper waste, we encourage keeping workflows entirely digital to the extent possible.
• Active Support for Your Transition: We recognise that many departments have long-standing workflows built around physical copies. This change isn't just about removing hardware; we need to become more efficient in how we work. IT Services is available to help your team transition to digital alternatives that may save you time and administrative effort.

These changes are the next logical step toward a leaner, greener campus. Thank you for your continued commitment to helping the University of Malta lead by example.

17 February 2026