A lot of businesses are still grappling with ways to green up their operations but there are some easy ways they can achieve this without compromising efficiency and quality.
Often the most obvious areas in the office are the easiest to green up, it just takes some understanding of how office machines work.
Printers and photocopiers are the most common pieces of office equipment essential for most business operations. Contrary to what people may think, going green does not cost more money, it actually helps you to save money along with the planet.
Making changes in the type of equipment you use, how you use them and the consumables involved can deliver substantial benefits.
Recycle paper and boxes
Most businesses use paper that has been manufactured using recycled ingredients and they also try to re-use paper that has been printed on one side. This is an excellent approach to cost saving. Ideally, businesses should go one step further and ensure that where possible all paper is recycled rather than being thrown into general waste.
All cardboard boxes should be reused and where possible shredded and used as fill for product packaging and packing. Don’t waste anything in the office, recycle, repurpose and re-use.
All-in-one printers and copiers
Cut down on the number of office machines. All-in-one printers are multi-functional printers that do multiple jobs like printing, photocopying, scanning and faxing.
We used to need one machine to photocopy documents, one machine to scan, and one machine to print. These days, we have the capability to combine several functions into one single piece of equipment.
It is not only a great way to cut down on resource wastage but these advanced all-in-one printers are also designed to decrease energy consumption by going into ‘sleep mode’ when they are not in use, which is great for the environment.
In addition to energy-saving capabilities, having one machine operational instead of many saves on power and floor space.
Green all-in-one printers and copiers
Office machines are now much greener thanks to significant advancements in technology.
Look for brands that are built using recycled components and emit lower emissions. These brands help to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on the planet by greening up their manufacturing processes and creating products which have impact on the environment.
Do your research and purchase from businesses that are also responsible sustainable corporate citizens.
Eco-friendly ink cartridges
Many printers and copiers utilise eco-friendly ink cartridges that have a low-melt toner composition, which saves 20 per cent more power than older generation toners.
Sustainable printing practices
While it’s probably impossible for most businesses to go completely paperless, there are many things that you can do to be more environmentally friendly in your everyday work processes.
Firstly, print on both sides of the page. Sometimes people can get confused about how to load paper correctly so that the print job comes out the right way, so they take the easy way out and just print on one side all the time.
Take the time to learn all about your technology and place clear signs around the printer so everyone understands how to use it in an optimal way. Double-sided printing drastically reduces your paper usage and it’s probably one of the handiest things that workers should be doing but often don’t.
