Our sales reps often hear from businesses that buy cheap printers and throw them out. It doesn’t take an environmental activist to picture a landfill piled high with what companies deem as disposable printers. 

National Geographic cites evidence that Americans use 500 million plastic straws to drink with every day (and quickly dispose of them), which is causing an alarming environmental issue.  It’s easy to picture thousands, perhaps millions of printers in landfills due to their lack of fulfillment in day-to-day business. However, when businesses hear that there are inexpensive alternatives to the printers they buy online or at big box stores, it’s almost as if they’ve been asked to accept their Big Mac combo meal without a drinking straw.

While desktop printers may be cheap, office managers often don’t consider the time and money that is spent obtaining the ink for such machines. The person responsible for ordering and replacing toner is paid a wage, which can also be overlooked in the cost equation. Toner is regularly purchased in such quantities that even the largest businesses cannot compete with the volume being purchased by commercial providers.  

Providing a printer on multiple employees’ desks for convenience seems contradictory in a society that places high emphasis on achieving a certain number of steps each day as well as the introduction of integrated workspaces. Some may claim that, due to the output of sensitive information, they need a printer near their desk or office. However, it is possible that they can also forget to pick up their documents, where they sit for anyone to see.

When ATMs first came out, there was an outcry about security and lack of attention was loudly audible.  However, education and adaptation has changed the way we do our banking today.  The print and copy industry is offered the same opportunity.  Managed Print Services can offer significant cost savings, introduce convenience into the print environment and reduce concerns about sensitive documents. Contact us for a Free Needs Analysis and learn how Managed Print could make an impact on your business.