As the modern world becomes more eco-conscious, businesses are under pressure to reduce their carbon footprint, and printing is often an overlooked culprit.
But here’s the good news: making your office printing more sustainable doesn’t mean compromising efficiency. In fact, with the right tools and managed print solutions, you can save money while supporting the planet.
Read on to learn more.
1. Overlooking Print Monitoring and Usage
Most offices don’t realize how much they’re printing—or wasting—until they see the numbers. Untracked printing habits often result in unnecessary prints, unclaimed documents, and overflowing recycling bins.
How to Turn This Around
Implement Print Tracking Tools: Managed print solutions like print management software can help monitor usage by department or user.
Set Print Quotas: Limit excessive printing by assigning monthly page caps for different teams.
Go Digital Where Possible: Encourage digital documentation and sharing to cut down paper usagesignificantly.
2. Using Outdated, Inefficient Printers
Older printers tend to use more energy, waste more toner, and require frequent maintenance. They might still work—but they’re far from efficient.
What You Can Do
Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Devices: Look for ENERGY STAR® certified commercial printers for saledesigned to consume less power.
Use Multifunction Printers (MFPs): These combine printing, scanning, and copying into one efficient device—cutting down energy use and maintenance.
Schedule Preventive Maintenance: Regular servicing extends your printer’s life and ensures optimal performance.
3. Ignoring Duplex and Eco-Mode Settings
Most printers offer eco-friendly options—but they’re often left unused. Duplex (double-sided) printing and draft mode can significantly reduce paper and toner consumption.
Sustainable Printing Habits to Adopt
Set Duplex Printing as Default: This instantly cuts paper usage in half without disrupting workflow.
Enable Eco Mode: Lower the resolution for internal or draft documents to save toner.
Train Staff: Make sure your team knows how and when to use these features effectively.
4. Printing in Colour—When Black and White Will Do
Colour prints can cost up to 10 times more than black and white. And yet, many offices default to colour for all documents, draining expensive cartridges quickly.
How to Reduce Colour Waste
Set Black-and-White as the Default: Save colour printing for client-facing or high-importance documents.
Restrict Colour Printing Access: Assign permissions to limit who can print in colour.
Review Monthly Reports: Use managed print services to track colour usage and identify unnecessary spending.
5. Failing to Recycle Consumables
Toner cartridges, packaging, and used paper often end up in the trash. But many of these materials can—and should—be recycled.
Steps to Improve Sustainability
Participate in Cartridge Recycling Programs: Most major manufacturers offer return and recycle programs for used toner and ink.
Install Clearly Marked Recycling Bins: Make it easy for staff to recycle used paper and packaging.
Buy Recycled Paper Products: Using paper made from post-consumer waste helps close the sustainability loop.
6. Not Right-Sizing Your Print Fleet
Too many printers—or the wrong types of printers—lead to inefficiencies and excess energy use. Often, businesses have more devices than they need.
How to Right-Size
Conduct a Print Audit: Identify which printers are essential and which are redundant.
Consolidate Devices: Replace multiple single-use machines with a few strategically placed MFPs.
Use Secure Pull Printing: This feature holds print jobs until users authenticate at the device—reducing forgotten and wasted prints.
7. Overlooking Cloud Printing and Document Management
Traditional print environments rely heavily on local infrastructure, making them harder to manage and more resource-intensive.
Modernize with Digital Tools
Use Cloud-Based Managed Print Solutions: Employees can print securely from anywhere, reducing the need for hard copies.
Adopt Document Management Systems: Storing and sharing documents digitally means fewer prints and faster collaboration.
Enable Mobile Printing: Employees on the go can still print securely without needing personal desktop printers.
8. Choosing the Wrong Print Partner
Sustainability isn’t just about hardware and software—it’s about having a knowledgeable partner who understands your goals. A misaligned provider may push short-term fixes instead of long-term solutions.
How to Choose the Right Provider
Look for Green Certifications: Choose vendors that prioritize sustainable practices in both their products and operations.
Demand Transparency: Your provider should offer clear reporting on energy use, paper savings, and device performance.
Expect Strategic Guidance: The right partner will help you identify ways to reduce waste, lower costs, and reach your sustainability targets.
Innov8 Digital Solutions — Your Partner in Smarter, Greener Printing
Ready to cut costs, reduce waste, and build a more sustainable workplace?
At Innov8 by Nextgen Automation, we help businesses embrace smarter, more efficient, and eco-friendly Managed Print Solutions—without compromising productivity.
From Calgary to Kelowna, Kamloops, Red Deer, Nelson, Nanaimo, Courtenay, Victoria, Edmonton, and Sudbury, our local teams are here to support your office technology needs.
Contact Innov8 by Nextgen Automation today to discover how our managed print services can help your organization work smarter and greener.