Eco-friendly managers automate printing

SLASHING power consumption is a key focus for eco-aware IT managers, but reducing wastage from printers is another area attracting attention.

Despite the fact that most corporate data is held in electronic form, workers still find themselves hitting the print button, preferring to consume information in paper form. Aware that it takes time to change human behaviour, major printer manufacturers have been hard at work developing strategies to help organisations reduce their printing.

They are using a combination of education and software tools to encourage people to change their paper-based habits.

Hewlett-Packard imaging and printing senior vice-president Christopher Morgan says many companies have no idea how much they can save by taking a critical look at their printing infrastructures and habits.

"It is about automating and streamlining the whole printing process," he says.

"Companies need to get their print costs under control and at the same time get better value from the pages they print."

HP is promoting its Print 2.0 strategy as a way for companies to reduce print volumes while at the same time making internal processes more efficient.

The strategy is a boost to the bottom line as well as the environment. As part of the strategy, HP has developed workflow software that allows documents to be held in electronic form as they move around in an organisation.

Morgan says this reduces the need for multiple copies of forms and documents, as nothing is printed out until the process is complete.

Lexmark marketing manager Stephen Bell says his company focuses on encouraging people to be more responsible about what they print and when. Research by the company shows that about 80 per cent of the environmental impact of printers occurs during their usage, rather than in manufacture or at end of life.

"Of that 80 per cent, 75 per cent of the impact comes from paper," he says. "It has five times the impact of electricity."

Bell says Lexmark works with its corporate customers to review their printing habits and develop policies such as duplex printing of documents. "Our research shows that one in every six pages printed is thrown in the bin without being read," he says.

"It is an alarming statistic."

As well as the reams of pulped trees that this habit consumes, another by-product is the vast quantity of printer cartridges thrown away in offices each day.

According to Planet Ark's estimates, Australian printer users churn through more than 2000 printer cartridges an hour, which adds up to some 5000 tonnes a year. The organisation has established a national recycling system to encourage people to ensure fewer empty cartridges end up in office waste bins.

Called Cartridges 4 Planet Ark, the program takes and processes used cartridges from all types and brands of printers.

Used cartridges can be dropped off at any post office or at stores such as Harvey Norman and Officeworks.

During 2007, the program managed to collect more than 2.2 million cartridges.