Today’s businesses are increasingly looking to find new ways to go green and embrace sustainability. Print strategy and infrastructure is often an overlooked area when it comes to this initiative. Fortunately, a few changes to your print strategy can have a major impact on your organization’s sustainability.
A social responsibility
Let’s start out with the reason behind a business’s decision to focus on sustainability. There are a lot of factors that go into a company’s environmental business approaches; however, at the end of the day, sustainable business practices relate to the social responsibility of an organization. A green business contributes to the longevity of our environment, as well as to the health and well-being of its employees and the people of its community. This social responsibility has a favorable impact on the reputation of a company among clients and employees, both existing and potential.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the print-related steps that can be taken to boost your business’s sustainability.
Minimize print volumes. Finding a way to minimize your print volume is the most obvious step to take when going green. Go digital with your documents rather than printing them wherever you can. It also helps to implement print tracking software that will encourage moderation among your employees.
Utilize double-sided prints. This may seem like a small change, but it can have a big impact by saving a significant amount of paper. Double-sided documents can immediately cut down on your paper usage with a few clicks of the mouse. Set double-sided printing as the default to ensure it is utilized.
Use energy-efficient printers. These devices are equipped with power saving modes and save energy by remaining on standby when not in use. On top of that, many green printers are made from recyclable plastics that will lead to environmentally safe disposal when they can no longer be used. Look for the ENERGY STAR symbol when shopping for printers.
Educate your employees. Be sure to share your green initiatives with your employees. Open communication is a crucial component to achieving sustainability. For example, be clear on your goals to cut back on paper documents. Let your employees know that you are monitoring printing usage—if it doesn’t absolutely need to be printed, then do not print it!
Putting these initiatives into place is a great starting point to help your company boost its sustainable business practices. For more tips and information on green printing practices, contact Golden Gate Office Solutions today.
