OAKLAND, Calif. — Rental car company Avis has decided to stop printing a number of marketing materials while ConnectEDU has launched an effort to eliminate paper from college admissions.

Avis Rent A Car plans to discontinue the printing and distribution of about 100 tons of paper brochures and materials a year, a move it estimates will eliminate the need to cut down 1,500 trees a year.

"Avis has always made it a priority to deliver information about our programs and services to our customers in the format that they prefer. In today's wired world, our customers have told us that they want to obtain this information electronically, via Avis.com," said Becky Alseth, senior vice president of marketing for Avis Budget Group, parent of Avis.

ConnectEDU, an online service connecting students and colleges, has launched an effort aimed at reducing the estimated 755 million pieces of paper used each year for college admissions. ConnectEDU has systems in place for students to send transcripts, recommendation letters and other documents electronically as well as to avoid receiving unsolicited marketing materials from colleges.

The company's new Students Plant the Seed site encourages students to petition colleges where they'll apply to switch over to paperless admissions. According to ConnectEDU, more than 200 colleges are already working on plans to eliminate paper from the admissions process.