Despite decades of striving towards paperless offices, printing remains an essential part of modern business practices. However, this doesn’t mean that reducing paper waste is futile. Instead, adopting sustainable printing practices can significantly reduce environmental impact and help businesses operate more efficiently.
Why sustainable printing is important
Today’s businesses are increasingly driven by sustainability. Implementing sustainable office printing practices is not just about reducing paper and toner usage; it’s about taking comprehensive steps to minimize the environmental footprint of your entire printing process. This includes using less energy and producing fewer greenhouse gases, all of which contribute positively to combating climate change.
Five steps to your lesspaper office
PaperCut Software was founded on the drive for sustainability . One overflowing recycling bin inspired our founder and CEO to write a bit of code to stop print waste. We’ve been doing so for 20+ years with smart printing tools like user behavior nudges and print policies. We offer a range of print management solutions for all types of industries and print infrastructures to make printing smarter and more ecologically efficient.
For businesses that want to get as close to the paperless office as possible and extend their sustainable printing practices into direct ecological investment, for PaperCut MF and PaperCut Hive customers we also offer our tree planting program PaperCut Grows to ensure printing is Forest Positive . While “paperless” is a fantasy, you can be a “lesspaper” office by implementing PaperCut as your print management solution, then following these 5 steps.
1. Measure your printing
Knowing exactly how much you print helps to identify areas for improvement. Implementing print management software provides insights that lead to more informed decisions and reduced print volumes.
2. Use Find-Me printing (or Secure Print Release)
These systems ensure that only necessary documents are printed, significantly reducing waste and improving document security.
3. Slash paper usage with duplex printing
Switching to duplex (double-sided) printing can significantly reduce paper use, an easy win for any office looking to improve its sustainability credentials.
4. Print in color only when needed
Restrict color printing of essential documents. This not only saves on expensive color inks but also reduces chemical waste.
5. Implement quotas or charging
By setting printing quotas or charging for printing, individuals become more aware of their printing habits, encouraging them to print only when necessary.
Tools and Technologies for Efficient Sustainable Printing
Exploring Print Management Software
Print management software is pivotal in sustainable printing because it offers detailed insights and controls over print jobs. Software like PaperCut not only tracks print jobs but also offers features like routing jobs to the most efficient printer and providing real-time feedback to users about the environmental impact of each print job. This helps in promoting responsible printing behaviors across an organization.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Printers and Consumables
Investing in eco-friendly printers and consumables can further enhance an office’s sustainability. These printers are designed to operate with lower power consumption and reduced waste. Similarly, using recycled paper and soy or vegetable-based inks can decrease the environmental impact of your office’s printing.
Innovative Printing Strategies for Sustainability
Encouraging digital document workflows can drastically reduce the need for printing. When printing is necessary, strategies like batch printing or setting up print job approvals can prevent unnecessary prints. These strategies ensure that printing resources are used judiciously, aligning with sustainable goals.
How to get sustainable printing started with PaperCut Software…
These five steps are easily achievable for any workplace. But users need to feel like they’re part of the solution, not the cause of the problem. We highly recommend print environment system administrators invite their users on the journey, so you’re all working together towards the same goal: sustainable printing.
To optimize printing efficiency, it’s essential to involve your users in the process. Therefore, we suggest a gradual approach to implementing the above five steps:
- Start by activating your chosen PaperCut solution in passive mode. This will provide insight into your printing environment’s activities without disrupting your users’ experience.
- Next, introduce Find-Me printing, a reliable method of preventing printer wastage and enhancing print security.
- For double-sided and black-and-white printing policies, gentle prompts may be useful to guide your users initially.
- Finally, after your users have gotten used to more sustainable printing practices, you can try implementing active print policies and set these behaviors as defaults. Just ensure that you can do so on your brand of printer.
Then if sustainability isn’t enough, and you want to do more, PaperCut MF and PaperCut Hive customers can enter the PaperCut Grows program, and plant trees as well as reduce paper waste to make printing Forest Positive.
