Celebrate Earth Week by Printing Smart

April 23, 2014

As many of you know, environmental responsibility is a priority for us at Konica Minolta. For years we’ve been integrating environmental, economic and social perspectives into our corporate strategy, and our commitment has resulted in innovative green technologies, extensive recycling programs, solar energy initiatives and much more.

As a company that specializes in printing devices, we are particularly concerned with the efficient use of paper. While reducing the amount of printed pages is an effective way to reduce your impact on the environment, there are many ways to print which are also ecofriendly. Here are some easy ways to print smart when printing is necessary.

Only print when you need to. Many people are in the habit of printing emails and other documents which could be easily read and saved digitally. Decreasing the rate of printed e-mails at a 100 person company by 10% annually would reduce five tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to approximately five Paris-New York return trips (Ademe, 2011).

If you need to print, use print preview. When printing an email or document is necessary, always print preview before printing to be sure that you are printing exactly what you want in order to reduce wasted print outs.

Always use the duplex, or double-sided printing setting. Duplex printing is an effective and easy way to reduce your paper usage by half. Konica Minolta MFPs offer productivity equal to single-sided printing, making it easier to reduce paper usage while maintaining efficiency.

Use recycled paper and recycle used paper after use. Using recycled paper when printing helps reduce the amount of trees needed to produce paper while also reducing waste. About 37 percent of fiber used to make new paper products in the US came from recycled sources in 2011 (EPA, 2011). Additionally, more than 5,000 products can be made from recycled paper, such as masking tape, bandages, coffee filters and car insulation.

In today’s workplace it’s essential to consider what you can do to reduce your impact on the environment, so we can ensure a sustainable planet for future generations. Make sure to celebrate Earth Week 2014 by taking these easy steps so you can actively reduce your impact on the environment when printing.  For more information on how you can make an impact, follow me on Twitter: @kaydufernandez

Also, share your comments with us on Facebook about how you and your organization are contributing to preserving the planet. #EarthDay2014

Kay Du Fernandez
Senior Vice President, Marketing

Kay Du Fernandez leads the creation of innovative marketing strategies throughout the entire customer journey. Through digital disruption, brand awareness, a focus on customer experience, marketing communications and channel management, she works to improve the value we deliver to customers, partners and employees. Her responsibilities also encompass strategic business development and pricing to support sales efforts for Konica Minolta’s U.S. operations. Kay established the Step Forward Program at Konica Minolta to inspire women in professional excellence.