Whatever size of your business, we all have a reason behind reducing our impact to the environment.
Print Solutions have often been hailed as blights on being able to be green in business, however, this really is a myth now in the age of increasing advances in technology which have considered the impact on the environment and made significant developments to reduce the impact.
Many people assume that by being more “digitally minded”, printing less paper and keeping everything online keeps them green, however, this is a misconception. You must bear in mind that all the digital equipment we have in our offices uses considerable energy which is not environmentally friendly at all! By 2030 it is predicted that we could discard between 400-700 million obsolete computers per year. When this type of equipment is not discarded in a responsible manner, it results in toxic emissions that harm the environment.
Here we give you pointers on how you can keep your print solutions green in our evolving business environment:
Choose a multifunctional printer:
If you need to scan, copy, print in black and white as well as colour, the most efficient piece of office equipment you can have is an MFP (Multifunctional printer). This allows you to have all the functions you require in your office in only one piece of equipment saving you money on energy bills and reducing the amount of CO2 emissions you may have previously had by having several machines doing different functions. Also new printing solutions are greener nowadays so upgrading them will ultimately improve your environmental stance.
Switch off your machine at night:
In standby, printers can use as much energy as when they are being used. You can ensure that you put the machine in sleep mode (you can find this in the settings), which means the machine will sleep automatically and this prevents energy being used unnecessarily.
Print both sides:
make sure you place the settings when you print both sides reducing the amount of paper you use, particularly for those larger documents. Reducing the amount of paper, you use will significantly improve your green status.
Print preview:
Always do a print preview so that you can see how your document will be printed. When you print without checking the preview and you discover that it has been printing incorrectly this can increase your paper wastage considerably!
Recycle whatever you can!
Always take time to consider that you are recycling everything you can for your print solutions, and really this should become a company wide policy with your employees engaged on your new processes. Recycling paper will reduce the need to cut down trees and in turn reduces the energy used for paper production. 5million trees a year could be saved if everyone recycled 10% more paper! Landfill space is also saved when paper is reused. Also, did you know that your toners can be reused as well. This essential component for your printer has always been considered a wasteful product that does not decompose and just takes up valuable space at landfill. However, all responsible manufactures now have the capacity to recycle your toners and you can ask your supplier to provide you with information on this.
Use the correct paper:
for presentation and marketing materials, you obviously need a high-quality glossy paper but if you are just printing out meeting minutes just make sure you use a normal average grade.
Create on draft documents:
try printing in economy mode, it’s not a pristine finish but you can save that for the real thing and when any amendments have been made.
Release print jobs when you’re at the machine:
there are several systems that are now available to ensure this happens. At Mode we use the Follow me printing system where the print job is only released when the person is at the machine and enters a pin or presents a card to the machine. This reduces paper being left at the machine and wasted.
Get a scrap tray:
to further help being more green whilst printing implement a scrap tray policy then if you have printed accidentally the paper can be used for meeting notes etc.
Dispose of your old solutions properly:
Old printing solutions have been notoriously bad for the environment, however, if you are working with a new supplier, they should be able to help you with the disposal of this equipment properly to get you on the road of being green!
However, it’s not just Printing solutions that need to be green, really any business should implement a wider policy to reduce the impact we all have on the environment. This could include:
- Cutting water wastage-ask your employees how they might be able to help with that
- Cut down on heating bills-think about how this can be done
- Implement a whole recycling plan
- Have energy saving light bulbs
If you want to discuss how Mode can help you be green with your printing solutions, then do contact us today to talk to one of the team.
Print management software can help your business understand the printing environment and make sure policies are in place to ensure you are maximising potential financial benefits.
