How to print whilst being environmentally friendly

For decades, it has been predicted that one day we will work in ‘paperless offices’, yet printing doesn’t seem to be going out of fashion any time soon. Most people still appreciate seeing something in hard copy, prefer to annotate reports in their own handwriting, and need to print out important documents such as contracts.

So how can we minimize the environmental impact of our love for printing? Here are some basic tips to roll out at home and at the office to make sure you’re doing your bit.

Choosing the right paper

Opting for recycled paper is an obvious choice. While the early recycled papers were bulky, often unbleached and heavily textured, modern choices can be indecipherable from non-recycled papers. The cost has also fallen considerably, so if it’s an option you have disregarded in the past, it may be time to look again.

Doing so will help save huge amounts of energy and water. According to the charity Waste Watch, for every ton of 100% recycled paper purchased instead of virgin fiber paper, 30,000 liters of water is saved, as is enough energy to power a three-bedroom house for a whole year.

It is important to check the actual percentage of recycled content in a paper. Sometimes a product marked as ‘recycled’ contains more than half virgin wood pulp. Paper carrying the National Association of Paper Merchants (NAPM) logo is certified to have more than 50% recycled paper.

Alternatively, choose Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper, marked with a clear stamp on certain brands. While the bulk of these paper products are made from virgin wood pulp, because the trees used have been grown in a very well-managed forest, it can be equally as eco-friendly and sustainable as recycled paper.

Ideally, many sustainability experts suggest that offices using large amounts of paper should be aiming to source paper that is a mixture of both FSC certified pulp and recycled content.

Avoiding printer ink pitfalls

Environmental principles aside, huge amounts of cash can be saved by regularly recycling printer ink cartridges. Empty cartridges can be sold back to recycling agencies, with a split of the profits being shared with you to encourage you to repeat the process in the future. Or they can be refilled and returned to you, meaning that you only pay for the ink inside rather than for the whole package.

Organic inks, such as soy and other vegetable-based inks are also becoming increasingly popular. The naturally-occurring oils in the vegetables are used as the carrier for the ink compounds. Soy is a popular choice because it is very stable, although it is increasingly blended with other organic ingredients to make the best ink.

Compared to standard inks, which are petroleum-based, organic inks are less harmful to the environment because they release much lower quantities of VOCs (volatile inorganic compounds) or contain heavy metals.

Always check the certification for your ink sources. Global printing group Elanders Print and many other commercial ink users and suppliers, for example, use inks certified to the ISO 14000 standard. The system shows that a company is dedicated to improving its environmental impact and quality standards. It is associated with lower distribution costs and savings in the use of energy and materials.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Everyday behaviors can make a huge difference to your office’s carbon footprint. Taking simple steps to implement reducing, reusing and recycling throughout your organization is vital to improving sustainability.

Make sure that everyone is involved in recycling – and shredding sensitive and confidential documents – once they have been used, rather than binning them. You will need to check with your recycling service provider whether they accept shredded paper, as not all do. Shredding of confidential papers is offered by some recycling service providers, whereby secured containers are provided and the waste is shredded on- or off-site and then recycled.

Getting suppliers on side is also very important. Encourage them to take back packaging for recycling once you have unpacked new items of equipment, for example.

Although more complex and with relatively high setting up costs, other methods of reducing your office’s energy consumption are well worthwhile in the long-term – saving you money and improving your environmental credentials. Options include fitting solar panels to the roof of your building or fitting geothermal heat pumps. These pumps gather natural heat from liquid-filled pipes laid beneath the ground which can then be used to fill radiators, provide underfloor heating and hot water.

You could even look into generating your own electricity using an on-site wind turbine. You would need planning permission but there are companies who will handle the entire process. And contrary to popular belief, a small turbine generates very little noise – no more than a normal conversation.