Photocopiers can have a negative impact on the environment. Older photocopiers represent clunky, energy hungry pieces of equipment that generate high electricity and repair costs for owners, while also producing additional costs for paper, toner and ink. Moreover, photocopiers emit ozone and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere, which contribute to global warming. Toner and printer cartridges that are thrown away after use can also leak toxic chemicals into the earth. These problems can be reduced by attempting to minimise the environmental impact of photocopiers. Some of the best ways to do so include:
1 – Ensuring Energy Compliance
More recent photocopiers should feature Energy Star stickers and ratings that demonstrate their compliance with European regulations on clean energy. In most cases, new photocopiers will be built to reduce emissions and provide features that can save on ink, paper and wastage.
2 – Double Sided Printing
A good time saver and once that can prevent you from wasting paper, double sided printings is particularly ideal for long documents. Double sided printing can also be used for flyers and memos to restrict the amount of paper used on a daily basis.
3 – A Full Recycling System
A large amount of photocopier paper is thrown away, even if mistakes are small. A recycling system should be in place to ensure that any waste paper is properly recycled, or reused within the photocopier for other purposes.
4 – Turning a Photocopier Off at Night
A simple but effective way to save money and energy, turning a photocopier off at night will reduce the amount of emissions produced. Other office items like computers or printers should also be switched off.
5 – Use Digital Photocopier Features
Many photocopiers now have features that enable you to set it to ‘wake up’ or go into standby mode at different times of the day. Having these settings programmed into the photocopier will make it easier to remember when to switch it off during periods of inactivity.
6 – Try to Avoid Unnecessary Copying
You do not always need to copy documents, especially if you end up with multiple or excess copies. Make sure you know what the minimum order is for a photocopy before using the copier.
7 – Send Emails
Emails can often be a quicker and more reliable way to send information than photocopying and sending letters. Check to see that your office or workplace isn’t using a photocopier for unnecessary tasks.
8 – Invest in a Single Copier and Printer
Combined photocopiers and printers save on the amount of space that you have to use in the office. A combined photocopier and printer will also save on energy, paper and ink and toner cartridges.
9 – Recycle Toner and Ink Cartridges
Many shops and manufacturers now accept recycled toner and ink cartridges. These can be taken into shops and exchanged for small amounts of money, or can be packed together for collection.
10 – Use Recycled Paper
Savings can be made on office supplies by buying recycled paper, which cuts down on the amount of new deforestation being carried out. Recycled photocopying will not lead to reduced image quality.
Guest article written by: Experienced copywriter Christina Appleworth, currently working on behalf of BTS Ltd, reviews methods of minimising the environmental impact of photocopiers. For photocopiers and multifunction printers visit www.bts-ltd.co.uk today!
Technology has improved a lot and now we’ve technology which is more environment savvy. So one should upgrade the older version of their products that we can keep our environment more clean and healthy.
Those are simple tips, yet they will definitely go a long way in helping our planet.
Photocopiers have eased our work in many ways, but we should be aware of the potential negative effects and try to use recycled paper and reduce the energy consumption by unplugging them over night.
We should be aware of the potential negative effects and try to use recycled paper and reduce the energy consumption by unplugging them over night. Thanks for sharing.
We should all keep in mind that environment is in danger. Thanks for reminding us with this article. If we have article like this more often, environment will take a huge breath and this will be a benefit for everyone.
I do use photocopy machine in my office, but after reading these points i amn really amazed that howby doing small things we are minimising its impact on our enviromnment. Turning a Photocopier Off at Night, send information via email rather than in documentary forms are great methods. i really liked it.
It is our duty to keep our environment balanced and pleasant . Everybody should land a hand by any means . You tips would help a lot of people i think…
I am campaigning for the use of soft copies for the circulation of documents instead of hard prints. We could save the earth by just using our computers, phones and slates to view or edit documents. Go green, save the Earth.
I couldn’t agree more! I invested in a multi-function printer recently – saves you getting multiple gadgets that then fester in landfill once they’re broken. HP do some really good ones: http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/products/printers/gateway-index.html
These tips are valuable effort to save the environment in the right way becasue if we want to save environment then there are lots of way to do the same but just we all should have to follow it in the correct manner.
powinniśmy jak najwięcej uwiadamiać społeczeństwo, może w ten sposób przyczynimy się do jego ochrony środowiska. Najczęściej ludzie popełniają błędy z niewiedzy.