6 Ways to Achieve More Eco-Friendly Printing in 2025

With sustainability now firmly at the top of corporate agendas, every aspect of an organization’s operations finds itself under a spotlight. One function that receives particular attention is printing, mainly because this is where costs and sustainability improvements can be easily made .?

The good news is that there are swift ways in which your organization can implement more eco-friendly printing practices. Check out this list of six of the best to help you get started.?

1. Make The Right Paper Choices?

Eco-friendly improvements start by making the right choices when it comes to consumables; the largest and most obvious one being paper. Fortunately, there are a number of environmentally friendly choices out there, you just need to decide which one is best for you.?

Try to choose paper that is recycled and manufactured using chlorine-free methods or paper that is FSC-certified. FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, an organization that seeks to protect and promote sustainable forests worldwide. FSC-certified paper has been produced using environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically viable practices.?

2. Use Eco-Friendly Inks?

As their name suggests, eco-friendly inks are gentler on the environment. They are often vegetable-based, made from soy, algae, linseed, cottonseed, and wood oils. Also, because they do not contain petroleum, eco-friendly inks help to reduce our reliance on our planet’s limited natural resources.?

Perhaps the most interesting fact about eco-friendly inks is that they are not a new innovation. In fact, they’ve been around since the early 1970s, when petroleum was suddenly in short supply, so they have been tried and tested and a reliable, renewable, resource.?

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3. E-Waste Management?

With sustainability and cost efficiency at the top of most business agendas, corporate printing solutions have been a major discussion for review in recent times. Local printers can be generally unsecure, difficult to maintain, and costly to keep running. That’s why more and more organizations are switching to digital document distribution and pull printing solutions.?

However, as more efficient and more effective document workflow solutions emerge, organizations find themselves having to deal with legacy equipment that is now obsolete. The dubious term used to describe electronic products that are nearing or at the end of their useful lives is “e-waste”.?

How To Recycle E-Waste?

E-waste is the fastest growing type of waste in the world, with more than 50 million metric tons generated globally every year. Another point is that because of the many toxic chemicals and components that are present in these obsolete devices, ensuring it doesn’t make it into landfills is of the utmost importance.?

This is where e-waste recycling comes in, providing a way for organizations to safely and responsibly dispose of their old electronics.?

However, the recycling process is convoluted and involves many steps, each of which is designed to break the product down and separate the potentially valuable materials from the non-valuable and hazardous ones.?

For this reason, organizations are advised to find a reputable e-waste recycler in their local area. Fortunately, finding an e-waste recycling company near you can be done in a few clicks thanks to initiatives such as:??

• Earth911?

• RecycleNation?

• Greener Gadgets?

• TerraCycle?

• Call2Recycle?

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4. SEAL Systems Secure & PickUp Printing?

A highly effective way to improve the sustainability of your organization’s printing is to implement a dedicated output management solution.?

Secure & PickUp Printing is a pull printing solution which requires business users to authenticate themselves – usually by authenticating themselves with an RFID tag, app on devices, or login methods – on a printer before they can receive their output.?

This solution affords a number of benefits, including:? ? ?

• Reduced paper and toner waste as printouts don't get forgotten or left behind?

• Better security as output is not left unattended on a printer for anyone to pick up?

• Greater user flexibility because print jobs can be picked up from anywhere?

• Less admin and maintenance for your IT teams as they don't have to support multiple local printers?

All of these benefits feed into your overall sustainability goals, while ...??

[Related reading: How To Establish Sustainable Manufacturing Practices]?

5. Recycle and Repurpose?

The simple acts of recycling and repurposing can also significantly boost your eco-friendly printing objectives. Start with the basics like ensuring there are paper recycling facilities near your printing equipment. Then, look at ways to recycle ink and toner cartridges as well, which can often be refilled up to six times.?

Printing equipment itself can also be recycled and repurposed. As mentioned, printers contain valuable materials that can be used to make new products, which is why there are many printer recycling companies around (as noted above?). Alternatively, consider donating your old printing equipment to a local school or charity, who will be able to give it a new lease of life.?

6. Choose energy-efficient equipment?

Even though they achieve the same outcomes, not all printers do so with the same efficiency. Part of the printing process involves the equipment melting the toner onto the paper, which requires a significant amount of heat. Some equipment achieves this at much lower temperatures, meaning it uses less power in the process.?

Look for printer models that are more energy efficient and consume less power. Not only will these devices help you save on your electricity bill, but they will also help save the environment, too.?

Begin Your Eco-Friendly Printing Journey Today?

There are many ways in which you can implement more eco-friendly printing practices, most of which are straight forward and don't require a significant investment.?

If you’d like to find out more about SEAL Systems Secure & PickUp Printing, contact us today so one of our experts can discuss your individual situation and needs.?

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