Report: Despite Technology, Companies Failing to Reduce Paper, Toner Consumption

A European-wide report released by Samsung Electronics reveals that that 83 percent of companies are not implementing basic technologies to reduce the volume of wasted printed material.

If companies want to reduce costs and improve their environmental footprint, reducing wasted paper and toner in the office environment is critical. IT managers should look for devices that help them to control and report on printing operations.

The report reveals that only 11 percent of organizations have introduced a simple PIN printing solution to track the amount of printed material. Even fewer companies have installed a system where users need to swipe a card to claim their prints.

“We have found that over half of all document output costs are associated with purchasing paper and toner,” said Graham Long, vice president, Samsung (News - Alert) European Printing Operation, in a release. “Reducing waste is an ideal way to minimize not only costs, but also a company’s environmental footprint. With workers still dependent on the printed page, simple technologies can help companies reduce print volume in the short-term.”

Even though the Internet and communication tools such as email have led to widespread expectations for a “paperless office,” many workers still prefer paper printouts and this has led to more paper being consumed than necessary. The report states that over two thirds (69 percent) of workers say that they prefer to read documents on paper rather than on the screen.

Samsung had taken note of the environmental effect of printers long back. In fact, in 2007, the Samsung Electronics mono laser printer, color laser printer, and multifunction printer were certified as eco-friendly by Blue Angel, the foremost environmental certification label Germany. The models included the CLP-300N color-laser printer, ML-3051ND mono-laser printer, and SCX-5530FN multifunction printer.