Quocirca’s Executive Briefing explores a leap in demand for sustainable print solutions that is prompting manufacturers and MPS providers to build circular economy principles into their core business model to position themselves for success in a changing market.
The Executive Briefing, examines how leading print manufacturers are applying circular economy principles to their supply chain and how Managed Print Services (MPS) can help customers lower the environmental burden of their print network and introduce circularity into their own operations.
Quocirca’s Print 2025 market insight study found that 76% of IT decision makers say sustainability issues are important to their organisation today. Specifically, reducing the environmental impact was the biggest challenge associated with managing the print network, rated higher than reducing costs or improving security.
The study also found that a fifth of businesses expect to invest in additional measures to improve sustainability in the next twelve months. Looking further ahead, 57% of IT decision makers expect that having a leading position on sustainability will be a key print supplier selection criterion by 2025.
This demand for sustainable print options has created strong business drivers for implementing circular economy principles in the industry, as Louella Fernandes, Research Director at Quocirca, explained: “The print industry has a long history of working to address sustainability challenges, predominantly driven by CSR initiatives and recycling obligations, however, what we see now is a level of consumer demand that means there are also powerful commercial opportunities to be seized by adopting circular economy principles. Several leading manufacturers now attribute significant new revenue directly to sustainability programmes.
“Manufacturers are looking at every step of the product lifecycle,” continues Louella, “from substituting raw materials with post-consumer recycled plastics, through design improvements for longevity and resilience, to using AI-powered big data analysis to monitor product performance and maintenance and innovative takeback and recycling programmes.”
Quocirca’s Executive Briefing “Sustainability: How the print industry is applying circular economy principles” explores how the industry is working to reject the linear “take, make, waste” economy in favour of retaining value in products and raw materials as efficiently as possible. It contains recommendations for buyers who want to achieve environmental improvements in their print network.
Access the report details here.
Earlier this week The Recycler reported on a draft Communication from the EU Commission on the EU Circular Economy Action Plan says that as a priority, regulatory measures for printers and consumables such as cartridges, will be included in the EU eco-design Directive promoting circularity in energy-related products (2020-2024 Working Plan).
ETIRA said it acknowledges the strong determination and congratulates the EU Commission and the member states to speed up and advance the circular economy, for a cleaner and more competitive Europe.
