ENERGY EFFICIENT PRINTERS
contribute to a more circular industry. “To reduce scope 3 emissions, businesses
need to take accountability for their environmental impact upstream and
downstream in the value chain. That is why partnering with an accredited vendor that is aligned with the business’ sustainability commitments can become their greatest asset. With on-the-ground support, Canon’s team of experts help channel partners to reduce their energy consumption in more ways than one.” New technology Phillip John, category manager office at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd, adds that there is a cost saving bonus to energy efficient printers. “In many cases, sustainability will be the chief driver in looking to reduce energy usage, but cost savings will always be an attractive benefit too,” he says. Energy efficiency is an important consideration in the development of new print devices, Phillip adds. “At Konica Minolta, for example, we are refreshing our bizhub range currently and one of the new options is a paper sensor that looks at the paper that is being used and automatically changes the print settings accordingly,” he says. “This allows you to use the optimal efficiency setting for example – with thinner paper the fuser temperature doesn’t need to be as high to achieve the desired print result. “In the past, the printer may have been set up to expect different paper stocks in different trays, but if the user changed this unexpectedly it was harder to run the machine at peak efficiency. Technology that automatically looks for efficiencies makes it much easier for businesses to make savings without having to continually micromanage their print operations. “The new Konica Minolta paper sensor is a perfect example of a technology that looks to match print job needs with resource usage of paper and toner as well as energy efficiencies. All consumables have an impact on sustainability so ensuring efficiencies across the board is important. We also offer our latest SimitriV toner, which has a fixing temperature 15 degrees lower than the previous toner and therefore adds even further to the energy efficiency gains.”
Reseller role With so many elements to highlight on printers, resellers have a crucial role in guiding customers to find the right solution. Manufacturers also have an important part to play in ensuring resellers and end users are armed with the information and facts they need to make fully informed decisions, says Phillip. “This includes energy usage in different print modes or performing various tasks such as scanning, for example,” he says. “Konica Minolta’s info portal, for instance, publishes environmental datasheets on each of our product ranges to ensure this information is readily available for reference.” Phillip adds that resellers should be guiding customers through the sustainability of all aspects of the print process. “This is from delivery, through to the lifespan of the printer, and its inevitable end-of-life options for recycling,” he says. “Another area of sustainability is packaging and specifically replacing non-recyclable Styrofoam with an air-filled cushioning packaging alternative. The plastic wrapping is perfectly shaped to fully protect all the parts during transit, but once that is done it is highly recyclable to avoid landfill and once deflated takes up very little space.” Louella adds that different technology approaches – such as laser versus inkjet – affect energy consumption and manufacturers will typically provide evidence detailing the energy impact of the technology in question. “It’s important that resellers press vendors to provide full information about the efficiency and wider environmental performance of their devices,” she says. “But our research shows that this is one of the challenges around marketing environmental solutions: 48% of channel partners we talked to in our 2023 channel sustainability study said they would like more clear and detailed metrics on product lifecycle impact from vendors.”
Philip John category manager – office
konicaminolta.co.uk
“
The new Konica Minolta
paper sensor is a perfect example of a technology that
looks to match print job needs with resource usage of paper and toner as well as energy efficiencies.
”
printinthechannel.co.uk
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