As Carbon Tax and rising energy costs put extra pressure on businesses, we’re all looking at ways to work more efficiently.
Office printing, including paper, power and consumables, is a high office expense. Printer manufacturer, Lexmark, has indicated that printers global warming impact is generated 80% by Paper, 8% through Energy Consumption and 6% through cartridges. By using a multifunction printer and combining duplex and multi-up you can reduce your CO2 emissions by up to 45%.
Here are some extra tips, from Lexmark and www.retailblue.com.au, to reduce your carbon footprint.
A) Think before you print
- Only print documents you need and avoid printing emails and drafts.
- Use print preview to avoid mistakes before printing
- Use duplex printing (double sided printing) to halve your paper use
- Archive your documents using scan instead of printing.
- Print drafts, greyscale or low dpi versions
B) Reduce Consumption
- “Super size me” – Use high yield cartridges to reduce plastic usage and shipping
- Use the draft mode to save ink and toner and reduce cartridge waste
- Print in black and white rather than in colour when colour is not needed
- Use workgroup printers to streamline equipment and save power
- In your home use wireless printing or network to a single to reduce the number of printers
- Turn your printer off in your workplace or home overnight or when not in use to reduce power consumption
- Use the right printer for the job. Local printer centres in your city may be a better way to print high volume jobs.
- Upgrade your printer technology – old printers may be less efficient in power and cartridge use.
C) Recycle
- Reuse paper for draft work whenever possible
- Provide separate recycling bins for paper and cartridges
- Use free manufacturer collection programs to reuse or recycle your cartridges
- Recycle end of life printers
Happy (sensible) printing!