Steps towards more sustainable printing

Printing is a necessity for many businesses. Client contracts have to be signed, employees have to be onboarded and various administrative tasks have to be carried out, all with the help of necessary documentation. That’s why your company should invest in a dependable print solution that all your employees can make use of. However, it is advisable for you to take a sustainable approach to your  company’s printing habits. You can implement various measures to save money, energy and resources related to your office printers. Start with these steps.

Analyse and optimise your printing solutions

There are software applications you can use in order to assess your company’s printer usage patterns and behaviour and to determine if any devices might be underused. There’s a possibility that some of your printers, fax machines and photocopiers might even be redundant, in which case you should minimise their use or even remove them. A wise step would be to limit or even cancel out the use of single function devices and instead deploy a multifunction printer that works as a printer, copier, scanner and fax machine all in one.

Conduct thorough asset management

By implementing proper asset management processes you can more easily track your devices and identify the ones that need to be upgraded. These processes involve properly operating, maintaining, upgrading and disposing of your office equipment. When it comes to the devices you no longer need, you can either donate, sell or recycle them. Also remember to recycle items such as toner cartridges and toner bottles.

Minimise your power consumption

Deploy printers and MFDs with energy saving modes. These devices will be inactive while not being used, helping you cut down on the amount of energy it uses as well as your energy costs.

Lessen your paper usage

It is inevitable that you will require hardcopies of certain kinds of documentation, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make your printing more sustainable by cutting down on the amount of paper you use. One basic step would be to print on both sides of the page where necessary in order to save up on paper. You can also prevent the unnecessary reprinting of documents by sharing them with your employees or clients electronically. In addition, don’t forget to recycle your paper if and when the need arises. Take all these measures and you’ll find you’ve spent a lot less on paper than you used to.

Encourage sustainable behaviour

Speak to your employees about their printing habits and how each and every one of them can make your office a sustainable printing environment. It might be a good idea to educate your employees on how to create a more environmentally friendly working environment in general. Maybe set up a recycling space with various bins for different products to be disposed of responsibly.

Your printing solutions are indispensable to your company. There’s no doubt about that. But remember to use these solutions in such a way that your company doesn’t end up wasting resources, money or energy. Invest in an energy-saving multifunction printer that can perform various tasks while reserving energy use during sleep mode. Use paper sparingly and only when absolutely necessary. Also build up a work environment that is environmentally conscious by familiarising your team with recycling practises and sustainable printer usage.