Get Serious About the Sustainability

After decades of debate, denial and happy talk, sustainability is serious business in today’s

marketplace. How serious? Of the more than 4,000 business leaders who participated in a

recent global survey^[i] on the subject:

• 28% consider sustainability a permanent and core strategic consideration.
• 31% see a direct link between business sustainability initiatives and profit.
• 67% believe that sustainability is key to competitiveness.

This unprecedented level of support from the top is a clear indication that sustainability is

nearing the tipping point in many organizations. But it takes commitment and advocacy to

nudge things in the right direction. Sure, big initiatives make headlines. But taking a hands-on,

systemic approach to reducing waste and inefficiency makes a big difference day in and day out.

Here are three ways to roll up your sleeves and get started.

Get Real  

You can’t sustain what you don’t know. These are just some of the things you’ll need to know to

determine the true environmental impact and costs of your organization’s printing practices:

• Per-page print costs (paper + print cartridges ÷ number of pages)
• User/printer ratio
• Energy costs (% of total operational costs)
• Printer/user ratio
• Device counts/capabilities/locations (be sure to note eco qualifications and features)
• Level of environmental awareness/concern among users

Get Creative

Once you have established a baseline of current operations, you can turn that information into an action plan using HP’s free online Carbon Footprint Calculator. Just enter the data you collected to explore the potential impact of a wide variety of technologies and strategies, for example:

• Consolidating to fewer more efficient printers such as HP LaserJet devices with Instant-on Technology, which can deliver up to 50% in energy savings over competitive laser products.[ii]
• Default double-sided printing, which can reduce paper consumption by as much as 50%.

Get Busy

Sustainability is not an event; it is a long-term business strategy.  It takes ongoing dedication and energy to keep office printing as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. Establishing and maintaining guidelines relating to the following dynamic areas can make it much easier to stay on track:

• Purchasing recycled paper
• Recycling paper, toner and equipment
• Setting limits on personal printing
• Printing from the web or mobile devices

Get a hand

Sustainability is everybody’s job. Give us a call at 866.692.0700 today to talk about your