SUSTAINABLE CONSUMABLES
Sustainability is a key concern for businesses in many sectors, and processes across the entire operation are continually scrutinised for ways to save on emissions and carbon. For those that use printers, the consumables within them is a key area to target for savings. Ben Mills, environment manager at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd, says that sustainable consumables are now a core consideration for many clients. “Particularly those with formal ESG targets, public sector obligations or net- zero commitments,” he adds. “We are seeing demand for sustainable consumables continuing to grow steadily as organisations look for simple and effective ways to reduce their environmental impact without compromising print quality or reliability.” James Knox, ESG manager at Ricoh UK, agrees, adding that sustainability is now a standard part of many buyers’ procurement checklists. “Large organisations often require suppliers to report on the weight and quantity of consumables that are re-used, re- purposed or recycled,” he says. “Public sector customers tend to have the strongest focus on product and supplier sustainability. As government legislation tightens, sustainability increasingly sits at the centre of their buying decisions.” Cinzia Gandini, general manager, EMEA at Katun, says that rising demand is driven by circular economy goals and evolving EU regulations. “Customers
are actively seeking reliable partners who can provide sustainable solutions without sacrificing performance, quality or value,” she says. “Across Europe, we’ve seen growing interest in remanufactured and eco-designed products, including remanufactured and refilled OEM equivalent toner cartridges, drum units, rebuild kits and consumables made with high levels of recycled plastic content.” What difference does it make Sustainable consumables can make an appreciable difference to a business’ environmental impact. James notes that sustainable consumables are the only component of a multifunctional device that is essential to its operation, and they are used in high volumes. “As a core component, adopting a circular economy approach to consumables significantly reduces raw material use through remanufactured cartridges, as well as manufacturing and distribution emissions,” he says. “Ricoh toner is a good example: the bottles are made from 100% post- consumer recycled plastic, and we have removed the plastic bag from inside the box, reducing over 79 tonnes of single- use plastic each year. In addition, our toner is re-used up to three times. Each product has a unique QR code and is scanned upon arrival at our Green Centre in the UK; if it shows no sign of damage and has not yet been used three times, it is cleaned, refilled and sent out again as new, all within the UK.” Cinzia agrees that options like
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As a core component,
adopting a circular economy approach to consumables significantly reduces raw material use through remanufactured cartridges, as well as manufacturing and distribution emissions.
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