Printerland Blog

Lexmark supports Earth Day for 6th consecutive year to promote sustainable responsibility

Lexmark’s Print Less, Save More strategy shows users the environmental impact of their printing and helps them tackle their environmental footprint

Earth Day, the public event that has been strongly supported by Lexmark since 2003, is a day of action for many organisations across the world and an opportunity for Lexmark to educate users about how to reduce paper waste and increase their awareness about more responsible printing.

Research conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Lexmark showed that European workers admitted that one page in five printed pages ends up in the waste bin without being read. Lexmark’s Life-Cycle Analysis found that most of a printer’s carbon footprint actually comes from paper use – compared with around ten per cent in terms of energy. Similarly, the usage phase accounts for the vast majority - between 55 and 68 per cent for an inkjet MFP printer and 80 per cent for a laser printer.

Earth Day: an opportunity for Lexmark to provide some green tips
Lexmark’s day-to-day recommendations to Print Less include:

• Print only what is necessary and print double-sided as much as possible
• Use high yield ink cartridges rather than standard ones
• Use the draft mode to save ink or toner and reduce cartridge waste
• Turn printer off at home when not in use or before leaving the office
• Calculate the carbon footprint of your printing using a tool such as Lexmark’s eco-simulator

Lexmark is focused particularly on Earth Day’s Green Generation campaign, including the aim to highlight each individual’s commitment to responsible consumption.

“By encouraging users to adopt a greener attitude towards printing at home and in the office, Lexmark has helped decrease the amount of paper wasted globally, reducing the impact on the environment,” said Raj Meghani, Head of Strategic Development, Lexmark UK. “By 2020, carbon emissions are predicted to be 19 per cent below 1990 levels. If this level of reduction continues, the Government will fail to meet its own recommendation of a minimum cut of 29 per cent. It’s therefore vital that businesses in all industries take steps to improve their green credentials. By adopting a back to basics approach, companies can go green without going into the red. In short, businesses that do not adopt a sustainable green IT approach to their printing are missing out on significant cost savings.”

Eighteen years of environmental commitment
2009 also marks 18 years since Lexmark was founded in 1991. Back in 1991, Lexmark launched its free cartridge collection programme and developed high yield cartridges. In 1993, Lexmark became a chartered member of the Energy star printer programme. Since 1997, Lexmark has taken into account in its product development the criteria set by the relevant industry certification Blue Angel, which ensures a green product range from its design to the end of life. Lexmark has been setting an environmental example since its birth and has helped its customers to reduce their paper consumption by up to 50% by proposing duplex and multi-up functions, as well as promoting the use of high yield cartridges on a large part of its range of products. In Europe, Lexmark now collects one cartridge every seven seconds.