GREEN OFFICE PRINTING

With a green initiative coming around every corner these days, probably the least likely you’ve heard about is right in front of you at work everyday. Your reliable little friend that churns out paper like a pasta maker is not only costing you a pretty penny, but it is also filling up the landfills. Studies show that after after 100,000 pages printed, a typical laser printer generates over 157 pounds of waste due to cartridges, fusers and imaging units. Simply put, a laser printer produces a staggering 90% more waste than alternative print engines like solid ink.

How about when you go to fix your desktop printer? If you’re like most people, you throw it away and get another one. Desktops have gotten to be so inexpensive it’s easier to replace, rather than fixing them. Manufacturers have a done a wonderful job of “reverse marketing” to the public when it comes to getting their products in the hands of consumers. Why buy toner that cost a couple of hundred bucks when you can buy a brand new printer for a few dollars more?

How can you do your part?

1.Migrate to multifunction devices
2.If you have to buy a printer, use solid ink printers
3.Don’t replace laser printers when they break down, repair them

It may be hard for many people reading this to actually consolidate into more of a workgroup device because of habit (or sheer laziness). Yes it is more convenient, but Mom making your lunch everyday was too. New technology can print at certain times, and some even print securely so you don’t have to worry about unwanted eyes seeing confidential documents. Also, many users will be pleasantly surprised on the speed and features available on a multifunction device that they can’t get on their desktop.

At the end of the day you’re probably not going to win a Nobel Prize for “going green” in your office, but the little things add up. Finally, a closing note from our friend Gabby, an elementary school kid who has a unique perspective on this topic.