MFP printers and copiers and other print devices can be a major energy user in your office.
On average, office equipment uses approximately
- 7% of commercial electricity;
- 1.8 billion in costs to business;
- For every ton of recycled office paper, you save 380 gallons of oil.
Did you know that 1kWh of electricity at a coal fired power station releases around 1kg or 2.2 lbs of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? These numbers have been growing.
To me this is mind boggling. Office equipment is necessary in a place of business, so what do we do throw up our arms and go ‘oh well’ when it comes to our goals of becoming environmentally sensitive in our office place? We can all do better than that. With a little research you can make a difference.
A proven approach in my opinion is to understand the # one rule:
There is no clear cut answer to how much energy you are using until your business printing needs are assessed.
Let a professional help.
Besides the utility of the tools for printing, the environmental impact is also part of making this is an important purchase, personal to your company’s way of doing business.
It is well worth seeking a consultative approach that can help you look over various industry options, not just one brand, so that you are getting what you need and not what the brand company wants you to have.
Here are some examples:
- If you are printing large jobs over 10-pages, you should not be using your personal printer that sits beside your desk; it is usually slower and will utilize more energy per page and more consumption of toner/ink.
- A second example is, some printers work better, are more efficient and less costly when they are worked to their load capacity. Driving volume to a larger network printer improves the efficiency of having it in the first place.
- A third example may be the decision to use the ability to print double-sided copies. You will save a lot of paper, reduce your costs and reduce your carbon footprint.
Even if you are not the person responsible for the purchase of the printing equipment in your office you can be pro-active and suggest that the environmental considerations be taken into account. In Ontario it is predicted that our power costs will increase another 40% over the next couple of years....this is a real impact on business operating cost.
Taking an more environmentally friendly look at your office equipment is good for us all.
Has your office done an energy audit of its printing equipment? Are you running old printers and using them infrequently? Could you replace or consolidate to reduce the energy impact?
Joanna W
Joanna W is a client service representative who has a concern with environmental impact of office operations.
