Desmaterialização de processos: os impactos ambientais e econômicos decorrentes da implantação do Sistema Eletrônico de Informações (SEI) no IFMG – Campus Bambuí

Abstract

This study analyzed the environmental and economic impact associated with the implementation of the Electronic Information System (SEI) at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Minas Gerais (IFMG) – Bambuí Campus, considering the dematerialization of processes as a strategy for administrative modernization and sustainability. The research combined a systematic literature review with a descriptive quantitative analysis of institutional records regarding A4 paper issuance. The primary data series covered the years 2017 to 2020 and was supplemented by records from 2021 to 2025; 2017 was treated as the system implementation and transition year rather than a period entirely prior to SEI. Recorded issuance dropped from 1,258 reams in 2017 to 173 in 2020—a result influenced by remote work. In 2025, 929 reams were recorded, a figure 26.2% lower than that of the base year. The difference of 329 reams between 2017 and 2025 corresponded to 164,500 A4 sheets and, based on the adopted parameters, represented estimated savings equivalent to 1,645,000 liters of water, 3,783.5 kWh of energy embodied in paper production, 1,151.5 kg of CO₂, and 16.45 trees, as well as a nominal financial difference of R$ 4,952.06. Warehouse issuance records do not represent a direct count of printouts; therefore, the results were limited to the paper distributed by the institution. SEI implementation was associated with more sustainable administrative practices, although maintaining the observed differences depends on monitoring in-person routines and paper usage patterns typical of an educational institution.