Ricoh is looking to green technology.
Speaking from the company's manufacturing plant in Telford, England, yesterday, Ricoh's corporate printing business development manager for Europe, Craig Lewis, explained how the company is building its carbon balance printing business unit to reduce the environmental impact of printing and to educate its customers that green practices reduce costs.
"We have analysed our production processes to detect which areas need focus in terms of CO2 emissions, and use the same methods to encourage our customers to follow suit."
Lewis explained that Ricoh is examining what type of paper is being used, the paper's weight and printing volumes, as well as how companies prioritise relevance of printing jobs to avoid wasteful printing.
Ricoh is also re-using its customers' wastepaper in some of its printing processes to reduce the environmental impact.
Toner cartridges are another key green area, according to Lewis, where cartridges and service parts are disassembled and all components - including shipping and packing materials - are sorted for reuse, material recovery and energy recovery.
"Another tool we have employed is the online Carbon Calculator, which calculates carbon dioxide emissions per print job, and calculates water saving from using recycled jobs and the amount of toner used."
The company has extended these initiatives to its factory in Telford, where different teams work on green technology projects. One of these is the device re-manufacturing division, where old devices, ranging from printers, photocopiers and faxes, are rebuilt and released back into the market.
"Remanufacturing and recirculating equipment gives another life to multifunctional products (MFPs). These products offer cost savings and a reduced impact on the environment. However, to ensure consistent high quality, Ricoh has strict standards for its certified pre-owned devices across Europe, and only when these high standards are met is the product released to the customer," stated Lewis.
There are challenges, he noted; commercial printing customers love the idea of making a positive impact on the environment, but their business demands cannot accommodate it in most instances.
"Government demand for the use of recycled paper has helped drive demand in other companies but it's a slow process," remarked Lewis. He concluded that to take this initiative further, Ricoh is educating its customers about how they should also talk to their clients about green printing to broaden the impact.
"That way it's not only about the bottom line, but making a meaningful, lasting impact."
Share