Printing the eco-friendly way

December 11th, 2010

Between their excessive use of paper and power, regular computer printers can be a real drain on the environment. However, the eager environmentalist can track down some better optionsif they know where to look. HP’s Eco Highlights brand includes information on the use of recyclable materials and the energy efficiency of each product. They offer a number of printing options, including Deskjet, ENVY, Laserjet, Officejet, and Photosmart models. The ENVY model, based off of the popular HP laptop series, is PVC-free, has automatic two-sided printing, and uses HP 60 cartridges with up to 70 recycled plastic. This printer will also impress your techno-geek friends: it comes with a 3.45″ touchscreen for games, applications, and scanning.Other companies have come up with their own creative solutions to making the printer more Earth-conscious. One of the most notable is the RITI Coffee Printer, which was one of the top 50 entries in the 2009 Greener Gadgets Competition. This device replaces your normal inkjet cartridge with coffee grounds and produces an environmentally friendly, sustainable supply of ink. However, this project seems to have slowed down, as there’s been no further information on it since then.Your environmental printing potency will also depend on what type of paper you are using. You can now find green options at many stores, from large chains like Wal-Mart to specialty online stores like GreenLinePaper.com. At the latter, you’ll find a variety of 100 recycled paper options, along with Clover remanufactured ink cartridges. Clover’s website warns that “each discarded laser cartridge adds approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic waste to our landfillswaste that will take as long as 1,000 years to decompose.” Instead of recycling cartridges, Clover reuses them, without using non-renewable resources in the process.Some of these environmental options will cost you a little more than the less friendly version. One of the most expensive Clover cartridges is the CTG4700Y for 245.95, which replaces the HP Q5925A cartridge, which has a list price of 312.09 at Amazonhowever, Amazon offers the HP option for 218.50. That’s a difference of less than 30, though, and in the long run, we think you’ll agree that the green option pays off. The time to start considering your computer’s effect on the environment is now, not later.

Posted in | Comments Off

Comments are closed.