Everything that uses energy or resources has an impact on the environment. As a business owner in California, you know how important your carbon footprint is. Today, more consumer than ever are invested in the environment, and they’re actively looking at companies’ carbon footprints when determining who to buy from. If your business does just the bare minimum to comply with environmental regulations, it’s likely you’ll lose some of these customers.
While there are certainly many ways of reducing your carbon footprint through recycling, green manufacturing processes, and buying local, there are also small ways you can be more eco-friendly. These may seem like small changes, but they do add up. One such way is by using eco-friendly copiers. Common Sense Business Solutions offers a wide range of such copiers for lease.
Understanding the Environmental Impact of Copiers
Every piece of equipment uses electricity and takes resources. Copiers and printers use up a good amount of energy because they’re almost always left on and plugged in. Even when they’re not in use, they draw a small amount of power. However, turning them off all the time can be inconvenient, even if they’re only shut down at the end of the day. It’s easy to forget, plus if you use your multi-function copier to receive faxes, you may have to leave it on all the time.
All of this energy consumption contributes to greenhouse gas emissions by drawing power from the electric grid. Unless your company uses nothing but clean energy (solar, wind, hydroelectric, etc.), it’s very hard to not have some kind of impact. For most businesses, it’s simply not feasible to move off the grid and go completely green.
Another way copiers impact the environment is through toner and ink cartridges. While most cartridges can be recycled or even refilled, there are companies that simply throw them in the trash – over 375 million cartridges end up in the landfill every year. While the energy and resources to recycle these items are less than what it takes to manufacture new ones, it still uses some resources. With the sheer number of toner and ink cartridges needed on a daily basis, recycling used cartridges isn’t enough to meet demand.
There’s also the issue of old machines. When a company buys copiers, they do eventually become obsolete. What happens with these machines? Some end up tossed in the bulk garbage, which in turn means they end up in landfills. While machine components can be recycled, some companies just don’t take the time to find a recycling partner that will take these old machines.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Copiers
This is where CSBS and our eco-friendly copiers can make a difference. Machine such as the Konica Minolta Bizhub C360i are designed with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind. This copier is certified by Energy Star and uses on average 0.43 kilowatts per hour of electricity. According to Konica Minolta’s testing, the C360i uses between 20 and 26% less power than a previous model. It also has lower CO2 emissions. As technology changes, newer models may be even more energy efficient.
Many of today’s copiers and printers are equipped with features such as sleep timers and automatic shutdown features. They will go into reserve power mode if not uses within a certain amount of time, and some can be set to completely shut down at certain times or if they’re not used for a specific number of hours. This lowers their energy use and their contribution to your carbon footprint.
Eco-friendly printers are also often made at least partially out of recycled components. This helps reduce the amount of new materials needed as well as minimizes the amount of waste that goes back into the landfill.
Ink and toner manufacturers have also felt the impact of eco-conscious consumers. A number of these manufacturers now offer refillable or more easily recyclable cartridges. Cartridges often come with minimal packaging or are available for bulk purchase, reducing the amount of waste that comes with each one.
Choosing an Eco-Friendly Copier
How do you pick the right eco-friendly copier for you? When you reach out to CSBS, we’ll help you sort through your options and come to the right conclusion. However, in general, there are a few things to look for.
- Energy Star certification. A copier that has been certified by Energy Star, an independent program administered by the EPA and the Department of Energy, indicates that the machine has met specific energy usage requirements. It indicates that the copier is energy efficient.
- Recycling options. Can you easily recycle cartridges? If the manufacturer offers a recycling program, you won’t have to find your own recycling partner.
- Some ink and toner cartridges are also marked as low-emission cartridges. They’re designed to release fewer volatile organic compounds into the air when the copier is in use.
- Paper reduction options. Copiers that offer duplex printing can help you reduce the amount of paper you use by printing on both sides.
Additional Tips for Eco-Friendly Copier Use
In addition to selecting the right eco-friendly copier for your office, there are a few other things you can do to help reduce your company’s carbon footprint when it comes to copying.
First, print responsibly. Talk to your employees about preventing waste. If something can be printed double-sided, it should be. Also discuss the need for hardcopies. Does everything need to be printed, or can some documents remain digital? You may also want to make some policy changes to help reduce printing. For example, instead of giving customers a printout of their invoice, could you email it to them? Do you need to have printed files for every project or customer? Can you e-sign documents instead of having them printed and hand-signed? Consider where you can reduce your need to print or copy documents in order to save on paper and toner.
Regular maintenance is also important. When a copier is properly maintained, it will continue to function efficiently. Proper maintenance also extends the lifespan of the machine, resulting in less waste in the landfill.
How Leasing Helps Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
By leasing a copier through CSBS, you’ll be able to reduce your carbon footprint in several ways. We offer a wide range of copiers that have been Energy Star certified, so any machine you lease is going to be energy efficient. We also provide regular maintenance and repairs, so you won’t have to worry about a machine using more power due to maintenance issues. We also use reduced packaging and make use of refurbished machines. These machines may have been used before, but we make certain they’re just as effective and energy efficient as when were manufactured.
In addition to offering copiers that have been refurbished and are environmentally friendly, we can also work with you to lower your carbon footprint even more. We can discuss what settings to change to use less paper or save energy as well as help you find a recycling partner for ink and toner cartridges.
Lower Your Carbon Footprint in California with CSBS
If you’re ready to start reducing your carbon footprint, all you need to do is reach out to CSBS to discuss copier leasing. With many other benefits, including an anticipated monthly cost, included maintenance, and upgrade options, you’ll find that leasing simply makes more sense than buying. Contact us today to discuss your copier needs.
