Cartridge World has published a new blog asking if you are a ‘green printer’, and offering recommendations on how to reduce your paper waste.
According to the blog, 50 percent of business waste is made up of paper, with the average American using 700 pounds of paper-based products per annum. “By simply being more mindful of your printing habits and paper usage, you can drastically reduce the amount of paper and energy you waste,” it suggests.
The blog also features the results of a survey of more than 200 Cartridge World customers, and the company admits its pleasure “that many of them are already environmentally-conscious with their printing choices.”
Exactly half of those who responded to the survey claim that they “frequently or always” give thought to the environment before commencing printing, which the blog says is “the first step in creating a greener office.” It points out that those who are cognisant of their environmental impact are statistically more likely to begin the implementation of small, easy, but significant changes at reducing waste and environmental damage. The blog also offers a selection of such changes to consider, such as printing double-sided pages, or “leaving your printer on sleep mode or other energy-efficient settings.”
A whopping 98.5 percent of respondents also declared that they recycle their printing materials – such as paper, or used cartridges. The inverse of that result is that only 1.5 percent of respondents – or three people, to be exact – said they never recycle, which Cartridge World called “an extremely promising statistic.”
However, as many as 78 percent of those responding said they had no official office print policy in place. According to the blog, these policies “can reduce your paper usage by up to 20 percent”, and can allow staff to track their own personal printing, as well as that of whole departments.
“This motivates many people to reduce their personal paper footprint,” says Cartridge World, “especially if they’re surprised by the amount they print.”
Other recommendations from the blog on how to ensure green printing include “conducting paperless meetings, reducing print runs, and consolidating your printer fleet.” It is the latest blog to be published by the company, following recent postings on diverse matters such as MPS, outsourcing, and colour printing.
