It is critical that today’s photocopiers and other office equipment be environmentally friendly in order to reduce waste and save energy in the workplace. Manufacturers, dealers, and distributors have implemented many technical and procedural measures to reduce the impact their products have on the environment. The WEEE directive is the latest government legislation introduced to aid the situation. Private enterprise and government alike have long been aware of the need to implement measures to increase energy efficiency as a necessary step not only to counteract global warming but also to increase profitability by reducing energy costs.
The WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directive concerns recycling. Photocopiers and other office equipment that were hauled off to a landfill in the past will need to find another final resting place. The directive is aimed at those who manufacture, sell, distribute, or recycle electronic equipment. The equipment involved includes all kinds of business and home appliances, including computers and other IT products, lighting, audio-visual gear, power tools, medical devices, and photocopiers, among others.
The goal of the WEEE directive is the reduction of waste in the form of electronic equipment and all electrical devices. Its goal is to improve the environmental procedures of anyone involved in any stage of the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of electrical products. The legislation requires manufacturers and distributors to take back and recycle electrical and electronic equipment. It includes a series of rigorous recycling and recovery targets for a wide variety of electronic appliances. Companies may discharge their responsibilities in a number of ways, including contributing to the cost of disposal.
Photocopiers, computers, and printing devices are undoubtedly the most common pieces of office equipment used in today’s workplace. Since these devices are always on demand, they add to energy consumption even when not in use and contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency and fossil fuel consumption are major concerns surrounding today’s proliferation of office equipment.
An easy way to save energy and reduce air pollution is afforded by the power management features on today’s office equipment. Energy efficiency provides a significant reduction of the environmental impact by photocopiers and other office equipment. Much of today’s office equipment features an energy-saving mode that automatically powers them down when not in use. This feature allows an energy savings of 60% or more when the equipment is not in use.
An on-demand fusing system is another major energy-saving feature of modern photocopiers and other electronic office equipment. These devices replace a thick heating roller with a thin fixing film. In many of these devices, the old-style halogen heater is replaced by a ceramic heating element. These two innovations allow the new generation of photocopiers to operate with lower heat requirements and vastly improved energy efficiency. These devices only use heat when paper is passed through the fixing mechanism the image is fixed on the paper. The new generation of copiers can make the temperature change from cool sleep mode to full operating temperature in 10 seconds or less, a vast improvement over the full minute or more required in older models. This is a major advantage when compared to conventional systems.
This innovative new technology is featured on the latest bizhub series manufactured by Konica Minolta, including the C451. The state of the art heating and fusing technology used in the bizhub C451 fuses at a lower temperature, maximizing energy efficiency and minimizing energy consumption. Such technology, especially when coupled with the increasing availability of double-sided copying and printing (called “duplex”) as standard, is currently paving the way toward increased energy efficiency and reduced air pollution.
To further save on electronic equipment as well as digital photography, Vince suggests using a Sharper Image Coupon and a Shutterfly Coupon from CouponKathy.com.