SUSTAINABILITY IN CONSUMABLES
Sustainable consumption As customers look to become more sustainable, every aspect of the business is being scrutinised, and office printer consumables are no exception – but there are plenty of sustainable options available that resellers can highlight to customers.
Sustainability is a watchword for businesses in many sectors today, with increasing numbers of customers looking for evidence that products are sustainable, and this includes such things as printer consumables. “Being sustainable is no longer viewed by consumers as a ‘nice to have’ - it’s an expectation,” says Stuart Miller, partner channel director, Canon UK & Ireland. “Those who are looking to future-proof their business, stay competitive and drive growth are looking for more environmentally friendly ways to operate, and print is a key area in which businesses across a variety of sectors can achieve this. It's important for partners to advise their customers on the more sustainable printing options available to them when choosing the right product or service to meet their needs.” Peter Cowan, group chief operations officer at Data Direct, agrees there has been a definite increase in demand and focus on the sustainable credentials of consumable products, their packaging and the supply chain that supports them. “There is a lot more focus on recycled/ recyclable packaging, as well as new technologies to make biodegradable toners and plastics replacements,” he says. Chris Bates, director – print and supplies, UK and Ireland, TD SYNNEX, agrees that consumables are an important part of the sustainability equation. “Over the last couple of years, we have seen much higher levels of interest in devices with refillable ink tanks and vendors have responded by expanding their ranges and making this category of printer more attractive to buyers,” he says. “There is also a move towards more energy-efficient printing technology, such as Epson’s heat-free inkjet printing technology – we’re seeing a lot of interest in that kind of solution now. “We’ve also seen vendors increasing the amount of recycled material they use in their printers and MFPs and consumables, and moving away from plastic packaging, all of which is positive.” Julie Haywood, customer and operations
support manager at CTS Wholesale, says the company has seen an increase in consumers requesting products with a lower environmental impact. “This isn’t a fad, there’s just more awareness now and we have made great improvements in this area and continue to do so.” She adds that packaging is an area of improvement. “Particularly with EPR repercussions,” she notes. “Suppliers are reacting to their customers’ ‘wish list’ with new innovations. We are in continuous discussions with our partners to reduce or eliminate plastic packaging where possible with alternatives such as kraft paper. “Our continued partnership with DPD, which is striving to become net zero by reducing its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 and 90% by 2040, continues to offer a reduction in the impact of our deliveries by delivering just short of 27,000 CTS parcels via electric vehicles in 2023. “We continue to commit to a zero-landfill promise of returned toners, drums and inks, with 98% being recycled either as a remanufactured unit or broken down into consistent plastic, metal and chemical parts. CTS has long been using re-used boxes for transporting goods. We also shred unusable boxes for pack fill rather than sourcing plastic alternatives. “Our partnerships with ethical manufacturers such as Rhino, which supports savings rhinos and quality paper from sustainable forests, printed with solvent free inks along with Eco Eco branded office supplies, continues to grow with much more to come during 2024.
Stuart Miller partner channel director
canon.co.uk
Chris Bates director – print and supplies, UK and Ireland
uk.tdsynnex.com
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