THE concept of green printing may seem like an oxymoron, but equipment vendors are rushing to show how their offerings can help companies reduce their environmental footprints.
Rather than just trying to sell more boxes and accompanying piles of consumables, printer vendors are taking a more holistic view of what their customers require.
They're examining everything from workflow to corporate culture in an effort to cut wastage and reduce carbon costs.
However, such approaches take time.
The true cost of printing is often hidden in corporate budgets, so there is unlikely to be a single view of the environmental impact that it might be having.
Hewlett-Packard imaging and printing senior vice-president Christopher Morgan says a good first step is to undertake a complete review of the equipment that's in place and consider what changes could help.
"Many times, documents are printed when they could really be dealt with in digital form," he says.
"We can work with customers to show them how to build systems that actually reduce the volume of paper in their organisation."
HP has developed workflow software that links with existing corporate applications and helps to logically move documents through administrative processes that traditionally have been paper-based. Dubbed Print 2.0, this strategy uses multifunction devices to scan paper documents into the system and then print them off only when required, at the end.
"The savings that can be made in organisations is significant," Morgan says. "You'll never get rid of paper totally, but through efficient planning you can reduce the volume."
Lexmark marketing manager Stephen Bell says his company has focused on reducing the environmental impact throughout the lifecycle of its printers. Everything from design and manufacturing to end-of-life collection has been assessed and streamlined.
Bell says about 80 per cent of the environmental impact of printers occurs during their usage and this is where attention is focused.
The company is working with its customers to review their printing habits and search for ways to reduce output.
One of the simplest strategies is to move to duplex printing as the default method throughout a company.
Simply by printing on both sides of a sheet of paper, the amount used each year can be reduced.
Another approach is for companies with multiple locations to send documents and other materials electronically and then print them out only as required.
Bell points to the retail sector, where savings can be made by sending signage electronically to stores, where it is printed only if needed. "The same approach can work for things like letterhead, documents and forms," he says.
"Printing these things as needed means that lots of pre-printed sheets won't go out of date and have to be thrown away."
Fuji Xerox marketing manager Tom Lewis agrees, saying cutting back on the amount that a company prints is the best way to improve their environmental credentials.
"It might sound counter-intuitive coming from a printing company, but the more you reduce physical output the more benefits you get in cost and reducing the environmental impact," he says.
Fuji Xerox has also looked at the challenge of consumables such as toner cartridges, Lewis says.
In this area the company has developed so-called solid inks that remove the need for cartridges altogether. Blocks of solid ink are simply inserted into printers, where they are melted and made ready for use.
"It's true that you can always refill or recycle cartridges, but not having anything to recycle is even better," Lewis says.
For those who continue to use printers with cartridge systems, recycling them has become easier thanks to a Planet Ark program.
The organisation estimates Australian printers chew through more than 2000 printer cartridges an hour, which equates to about 5000 tonnes each year.
Planet Ark has created a national recycling system to help people ensure fewer empty cartridges end up in office waste bins.
Called Cartridges 4 Planet Ark, it takes and processes used cartridges from all types and brands of printers.
However, a bigger recycling challenge exists with the printers themselves. While vendors are getting better at arranging collection and recycling of their products, many still end up in landfill.
Researcher Gartner says vendor take-back programs are not enough to solve the challenge. Some of the responsibility must also rest on the shoulders of corporate users.
"There is little doubt that placing the responsibility on manufacturers for the collection and cost of recycling e-waste will give them a strong incentive to design products that are easier to de-manufacture, consume fewer materials and reduce harmful content," Gartner research vice-president Frances O'Brien says.
There is also a need for users to take a part in the challenge.
"Organisations need to adopt a more considered approach to their asset and waste management from the very beginning, and plan for equipment disposal at the time of purchase," she says.
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