As the world continues to become more conscious of its environmental impact, businesses and organisations are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. One way to do this is by making your office printing more sustainable. This blog post will cover five ways to ensure your organisation’s printing is as sustainable as possible. From reforestation schemes to upgrading your fleet, these tips will help you make a big difference in your office’s sustainability efforts. Read on to learn more!
1) Join a reforestation scheme
One of the best ways to make your office printing more sustainable is to join a reforestation scheme. Reforestation schemes are designed to help restore and protect forests damaged or destroyed due to human activity.
At Parallel Office & Document Solutions, we have partnered with Print Releaf to make it easier for you to join such a scheme. Every page printed with us is automatically tracked and can be matched with a reforestation project across the globe. Not only will joining a reforestation scheme help to reduce your carbon footprint, but it also sends a great message to your clients and customers. by showing them that you are actively taking steps to make the world a better place.
2) Use both sides of the paper
Another great way to make your office printing more sustainable is to use both sides of the paper whenever possible. Not only does this help reduce the amount of paper you’re using, but it can also save your organisation money in the long run. When selecting a printer for your office, look for a double-sided printing option. Most modern printers have a duplex feature, making it easy to print on both sides.
3) Provide recycling points throughout your office
Ensure everyone has easy access to a paper recycling facility by providing recycling points throughout your office. Many businesses should now have a policy around what materials can be recycled, how they should be disposed of and whether sensitive documents need a separate process.
4) Avoid unnecessary printing
Unnecessary printing is one of the biggest culprits concerning workplace environmental waste. You can control printing in numerous ways. Firstly, you can set print volumes for individual users – limiting the number of documents an employee can print may stop them from sending that document into the print queue!
Similarly, you can also control who can print in mono or colour: Some documents only need to be printed in black and white to be effective, so it’s important to specify who has permission to print in colour. A proven way to reduce print volumes is to introduce dual monitors – workers can easily view documents without needing to print them.
Finally, educating your employees to think before they print is essential to any office sustainability program. It’s easy for people to become complacent when it comes to printing, so reminding them about their responsibilities in conserving resources can go a long way.
5) Consider the age of your fleet
When was the last time you considered the age of your office printing fleet? If you are running older units, they can be less efficient in terms of energy use and cost. Standardising your fleet means you can ensure all printers have eco-friendly modes such as duplex units,
If you are serious about reducing the paper used within your business, consider moving to a print-managed service.
Managed Print Services (MPS) provide an efficient and effective way to manage your office printing. They offer an end-to-end solution, from ordering the correct toner cartridges to installing the latest energy-saving printing technology. With an MPS, you can ensure that all your printers, scanners and other office equipment are running in optimal condition, maximising efficiency and productivity while keeping costs down.
With Parallels Print Plan, not only can you set print quotas on a user-by-user basis and make duplex printing standard, but you can also boost the green credentials of your organisation further with our PrintReleaf partnership.
Overall, managed print services provide a comprehensive way to control your office printing and make it more sustainable. It helps you save money and energy and positively impacts the environment.
We hope these tips on making printing more sustainable have been helpful. At Parallel, we offer a free audit of your printing operation, so please message us today if you want to speak to one of the team about your future requirements.