IT Sustainability Suppose Tank: Views on the print trade’s net-zero push in 2025
Quocirca publishes analysis on the affect of sustainability components on IT decision-makers when they’re deciding on office print suppliers, together with sustainability concerns when modernising print infrastructure can ship measurable reductions within the organisation’s environmental footprint and prices, by means of waste and emissions reductions. We additionally monitor the progress of main print know-how suppliers in bettering company sustainability efficiency.
We now have tracked each an acceleration of sustainability initiatives and a shift in motivations over the past 12 months. Regardless of the altering political local weather and delays in sustainability-focused rules, our analysis reveals that 82% of organisations are accelerating their sustainability plans.
For the primary time, constructing or bettering company repute is among the many high three causes for pursuing company sustainability initiatives, alongside the extra common drivers of operational efficiencies and assembly trade requirements.
As Technology Z’s office affect grows, evidently firms are responding to their demand for accountable suppliers and focusing extra strategically on demonstrating sustainability commitments.
On a associated observe, companies could also be searching for to enhance their very own reputations, however they’re additionally rising extra suspicious of others’ claims. Greenwashing is cited as a key problem to decreasing the environmental impression of print infrastructure, and concern has risen markedly over the previous two years.
A part of this stems from a historic lack of sturdy information on product efficiency, however there are encouraging indicators that suppliers are addressing this challenge.
Environmental impression and lifecycle assessments are actually desk stakes for brand spanking new product launches, alongside optimisation instruments that assist prospects quantify the impression of recent print {hardware} deployments.
Unbiased certifications, corresponding to Power Star and Blue Angel, have lengthy had credibility with IT decision-makers, however we are actually seeing suppliers searching for certification for a wider vary of merchandise, together with remanufactured gadgets.
Round financial system progress in print
The print trade has a comparatively good heritage in round financial system approaches, however suppliers aren’t resting on their laurels. Previously 12 months, we’ve witnessed improvements in each product design and industrial fashions aimed toward supporting the marketplace for second-life gadgets.
This contains the launch, by Ricoh, of circular-economy badged merchandise whose remanufacturing course of contains upgrades that improve the gadgets past their authentic specs. Canon can also be notable for its established remanufacturing and refurbishment programmes, whereas Xerox has prolonged its Licensed Pre-Owned vary this 12 months, and Brother launched a {hardware} remanufacturing initiative in 2024.
Remanufacturing is an space the place provider exercise is barely forward of buyer demand, nonetheless. Presently, solely 12% and 9% of IT determination makers take into account the provision of refurbished and remanufactured gadgets, respectively, to be a high three consideration when decreasing the environmental impression of print.
Regardless of the excessive requirements of remanufacturing and refurbishment – backed by sturdy warranties – delivered by suppliers of their second-life product ranges, issues persist round attainable hidden prices and reliability.
Suppliers, due to this fact, now have work to do to encourage demand for these gadgets, allay buyer issues, and have interaction their gross sales channels extra intently, growing incentives for second-life system gross sales and help.
On this space, devising industrial fashions that mirror the market realities through which they function is essential. Not too long ago, we’ve seen improvements round leasing, together with Epson, which has launched a programme that sees it retain possession of merchandise (together with workplace print, audio-visual, retail, industrial print and robotics) after first-use, with the intention to set up a pipeline of gadgets for remanufacturing and refurbishment.
These gadgets are then out there to assist channel companions meet necessities for second-life {hardware}, the place laid out in tenders.
Suppliers are additionally specializing in end-of-life restoration and the reuse of uncooked supplies, in a bid to scale back virgin materials extraction and use by closing the loop. Canon, for instance, has began utilizing recycled iron for the metal parts in new gadgets. The iron used is recovered from its personal end-of-life gadgets. Equally, Lexmark’s cartridges comprise 42% post-consumer recycled plastic, with 39% deriving from its personal closed loop plastic course of.
Manufacturing, stocking, and supplying spare elements is one other space the place we’ve seen trade innovation, partly in response to regulation round repairability. Sharp Europe has piloted an additive manufacturing programme that creates spare elements on demand within the area the place they’re required. This has optimistic impacts throughout uncooked materials consumption, transportation, and storage.
Our analysis reveals that prospects need suppliers to assist them cut back, handle and mitigate their environmental impression, and suppliers are responding. Notable choices embrace the Verified Carbon Neutrality Service from Xerox, HP’s Carbon Emission Sync Service, and Ricoh’s Sustainability Optimisation Service and Carbon Balancing Service.
When it comes to company sustainability targets, most print trade suppliers have set 2050 as their net-zero 12 months, with the exceptions being HP and Xerox, that are concentrating on 2040.
The suppliers in our research sometimes have formidable interim discount targets for 2030. They’re additionally reaching good progress in shifting to renewable vitality sources, with Epson notable for reaching 100% renewable vitality use in 2023.
What gaps stay?
Scope 3 emissions proceed to be a problem. Suppliers have set targets on this space, and they’re a powerful motivator to scale back the in-use emissions related to gadgets, however there may be additionally work to do on buyer training round print infrastructure optimisation.
Many suppliers have robust choices within the space of data-driven monitoring, superior analytics, and suggestions for optimising system fleets; by selling these as an intrinsic issue within the buying determination and demonstrating how they combine with prospects’ personal sustainability efficiency administration programs, suppliers can drive consciousness and adoption.
Many organisations are in the midst of know-how refresh cycles prompted by the arrival of synthetic intelligence (AI) PCs and the end-of-life of working programs.
Our analysis reveals that as much as eight in ten will even modernise their print infrastructure to higher mirror the productiveness and safety wants of hybrid employees.
In most organisations, there may be nonetheless a substantial alternative to scale back carbon emissions related to print – significantly on the procurement stage – so it is a crucial time for significant change. From product and configuration selections to in-use administration and end-of-life disposal choices, choices at this stage could make a demonstrable distinction.
IT decisions-makers are strongly suggested to place a circularity lens on print know-how buying choices. Ask suppliers for full particulars on product lifecycle impacts and end-of-life preparations. Don’t dismiss the potential of second-life gadgets to fulfil at the least a part of a fleet deployment, as they’ll considerably cut back impression with out compromising efficiency or provider help.
It’s also worthwhile exploring the sustainability options out there from the Unbiased Software program Distributors (ISVs) that specialize in print administration. These can assist preserve good visibility of useful resource consumption and impression.
Ask suppliers how they’ll help you to attain your company sustainability targets and supply audit-ready proof of the enhancements made. Many suppliers supply data-centric carbon-neutrality, offsetting, and avoidance companies; prospects ought to combine them into their very own carbon administration programs.
Given the advances in product circularity, system efficiency, and adjoining sustainability companies over the previous 12 months, organisations with urgent sustainability targets are suggested to discover the optimistic impact these may have on decreasing the impression of their print infrastructure now and into the longer term.
