Ricoh urges businesses to “Think Before They Print”
Last Updated on October 19, 2022 by Christian Ralph
Ricoh UK has launched its Green Partnership scheme, aimed at helping customers to do their bit for the environment.
New and existing customers who sign up to the Green Partnership programme will be given resources and additional support by the print giant to enable them to minimise their environmental impact. This forms part of Ricoh’s commitment to promote sustainable practices throughout “The Whole Journey” of the product lifecycle.
The Green Partnership programme comprises:
- Toner bottle collection. All components are recycled by Ricoh at its dedicated Green Centre, with zero waste sent to landfill
- Commitment by Ricoh to plant trees through its Seeds for Africa partnership, as part of an ongoing relationship with the charity.
- A “Think Before You Print” campaign, including booklets, posters and stickers printed on recycled materials to encourage employees to reduce the number of unnecessary print jobs
- Paperless invoicing and meter readings
- Ricoh’s “Green To Do List” that helps organisations become more environmentally responsible
James Deacon, head of CSR at Ricoh, says, “Ricoh has already slashed the environmental impact of its manufacturing and disposal processes. This includes ensuring they are energy efficient at design and manufacturing stages, as well as ensuring every possible component is recycled or reused at our Green Centre when the customer has finished using them. This has reduced our share of the environmental footprint of each machine from 60 per cent to 45 per cent in the last three years – well below that of our competitors.
“Fifty-five per cent of the total environmental impact occurs when the machine is being used by the customer. So, as part of our commitment to reduce the effect of our products throughout ‘The Whole Journey’ – from cradle to grave – we are now equipping our customers with the tools required to minimise their environmental footprint.”
Ricoh is planning to roll out additional offers to Green Partnership customers over the next six months, including software discounts aimed at reducing paper wastage and cut-price recycled paper.
“We’re already seeing a marked change in the number of public and private sector organisations implementing sustainable procurement policies,” adds Deacon. “Many organisations are realising there are also financial benefits to a greener IT policy.”
