Copies, Copiers, Green Printing and Online Data Backup

Check out these tips we found on Kodak’s website to make your invitations with a green touch.

1. Download the Kodak-provided PDF for the seed packet template. I find that the one they provide is a little too chintzy, so you could use the dimensions from their template and design a packet that’s more you.
2. If you have Photoshop, add your picture, names, and date to the design. Otherwise, you can glue the picture of the two of you to the template after you print it out.
3. Print out the paper with the template on and cut it out. If you didn’t Photoshop your face on the packet, glue it on now and write or stamp in your names.
4. Fold the seed packet and glue the side flaps down.
5. Add the seed of your choosing to the packets (about a handful) and glue it shut.
6. Your seed packets are now ready for wedding favoring!

Japan’s Canon Inc  plans to invest 60 billion yen ($575 million) to build a new toner cartridge plant in the United States, the Nikkei business daily reported on Friday. The new factory, which will feature fully automated assembly lines and will employ about 700 people, is expected to start operations as early as December 2009, the paper said.

Canon, which competes with Xerox Corp and Ricoh Co.  in copiers and printers, aims to meet overseas demand efficiently with less impact of currency fluctuation and rising transportation costs, the paper said.

It added the factory would be built near a site occupied by its toner production subsidiary in Virginia.

Copies.com

Binders made from 100 percent recycled cardboard covers and 90 percent recycled steel rings will be among the products available at OfficeMax stores as a result of a partnership between the company and TerraCycle, which manufactures products entirely from recycled materials, which, in turn, helps reduce some of the country’s largest waste streams.The binders come with the world’s first return program for used binders and will be available along with TerraCycle’s plant-based, non-toxic and biodegradable Natural Cleaner line of products that are packaged directly in used 1-liter soda bottles, like the ones their bird feeders are made of.

Also among the green OfficeMax product line will be pencil cases, trash cans and recycling bins made from 100 percent recycled plastic.

Office supply stores have been busy this month. Office Depot announced a new line of green products and Staples has launched the Staples Green Guide, an online catalog of eco-friendly products for contract customers.

According to its first Corporate Social Responsibility report issued last December, OfficeMax reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 32,000 metric tons from 2005 to 2006.

Water Conservation 1. Conduct an indoor/outdoor water balance or assessment.

2. Implement all applicable simple conservation measures. &

3. Implement 3 of the suggested or industry specific water conservation measures.

Solid Waste Reduction & Recycling

1. Conduct a waste reduction assessment of solid waste streams. &

2. Implement solid waste reduction and recycling measures:

• Reduce paper waste in 5 different ways.
• Incorporate waste reduction methods into your business in 5 ways.
• Segregate and recycle or reuse 5 types of materials from your solid waste streams.
• Purchase 3 recycled or used materials/products for your business.

Energy Conservation

1. Have your local energy utility or an energy service company conduct a commercial energy assessment.

2. Perform regular maintenance on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. &

3. Implement 2 alternative technologies and 5 behavioral changes.

Pollution Prevention

1. Conduct an assessment of your facility to identify pollution prevention opportunities.

2. Implement pollution prevention measures:

• Implement 6 good housekeeping and operating practices.
• Implement 3 material, product, technology or process changes.
• Reuse or recycle hazardous materials/wastes in 3 ways.
• Prevent contamination of storm water and runoff by implementing 4 measures.
• Implement at least 3 measures with the goal of reducing vehicle emissions.

In its presentation, “Printing, Profits and Sustainability: The Triple Imperative,” Lexmark will explore the close link between paper usage, business performance and the environment, with some surprising observations from the company’s research and close work with clients around the globe.

With help from Lexmark, more and more organizations are realizing that technology projects that are good for the environment can also be good for business. Nowhere is that more apparent than with printing, where rising page volumes have long been viewed as onerous cost centers. Today, they are increasingly viewed as corporate social responsibility issues as well.

Many businesses are doing something to reduce paper usage, but not all print reduction initiatives are equally effective. While every step forward helps, dramatic improvements are possible — and at a cost far less than many organizations may anticipate. In fact, by embracing proven best practices, new technologies and some simple, common sense strategies, businesses and agencies can often print less, save money and improve employee productivity at the same time.

“Improved processes mean businesses can print less, which translates to less impact on the environment and a better bottom line,” said Marty Canning, Lexmark vice president and president of its Printing Solutions and Services Division. “Lexmark’s focus is helping clients understand the true drivers of unwanted printing, as it relates to their unique circumstances. We can provide them with the technology, and more importantly the strategies needed to improve business results and minimize the impact of printing on the environment.”

Lexmark’s presentation will be available online as part of the Ziff Davis CIO Digital Summit, which is a half-day recap of the keynote sessions and panel discussions on Thursday, May 22. More information is available at www.ziffdavisciosummit.com.

Copies.com

Involve everyone in the family in using power strips. Any gadget that has a digital readout or transformer box on its power cord needs to be plugged into a power strip and then turned off when not in use. Computers, printers, DVD players, TVs, ipods, phone chargers, adding machines, coffee makers microwaves and just about any modern device all draw power even when they are turned off. If you plug the devices into a power strip and turn it off when not in use, you can save up to 10% on your energy bill.
Note: This is important at home but especially important at work – doing a hard shut off of computers and office equipment can substantially cut down environmental impact. Go green at the office as well as home.

Copies.com

Soy ink is very similar to “regular” printing ink, except that it contains varying amounts of soybean oil instead of petroleum oil. Soybean oil is non-toxic and used in cooking oils, margarine and salad dressings.

Ink containing soybean oil is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which react with other atmospheric pollutants to form smog. In addition, soy ink is recycling-friendly: it is removed more effectively during de-inking, and the resulting waste is not considered hazardous and can be treated more easily, completely and cost-effectively.

Soy ink for commercial printing is comparably priced with petroleum-based ink, as is color news ink containing soybean oil. Although soy ink costs about 25 percent more than petroleum ink in the black news ink market, some newspaper publishers have reported they can print more papers with less ink, making it more competitively priced in the long run.

Many newspapers and large commercial printers are recycling their ink by mixing black ink with unused color inks. Such a process results in more efficient use of ink, reduces waste and is more cost-effective for the printer. Soy ink has proved compatible with this waste-handling system.

Copies.com

The eco-friendly push has created a surge in the number of green-related trademark applications, according to an annual study of trends in trademarks done by Dechert, a Philadelphia law firm. Last year, more than 2,400 applications were filed for logos or phrases that used the word “green,” and about 100 applications sought to trademark “Go Green.” The word “green” was joined by others with an environmental slant: About 900 applications were filed for the word “clean,” and the prefix “eco” also was hot. The popularity of “eco” doubled in 2007 from the year earlier to 900 new applications, such as Ecoroof and Ecomattress. Dechert’s study says the applications helped to lift the total number of trademark applications in the U.S. 10% to 300,000 last year.

Copies.com

IT giant HP has today launched a new best practice guide designed to help small and medium sized businesses cut paper use and limit the environmental impact of their printing activities.The free online guide was released as HP debuted the results of a new survey which showed that the majority of firms with under 1,000 employees currently have no green business policy in place and are shunning many of the simple low and no-cost steps they could take to limit the environmental impact of their printing operations.

However, the report also revealed attitudes are beginning to change with 54 per cent of the 1,200 executives surveyed claiming they will be looking to procure more environmentally sustainable printing products over the next two years.

Advice on how best to implement these policies is included in the new guide, which also features a check list managers can use to assess the green credentials of their current printing policy.

Copies.com

1. Cut the paper trail

The virtual world was supposed to bring the paperless office with it. That didn’t happen, but with a little effort you can definitely cut down on paper consumption.

Maximise use of your office technology to save paper. Read emails before you print them, photocopy both sides of the paper, email reports instead of making printed copies.

Use a fax-modem so that documents can be sent directly from a computer, without printing, and encourage staff to save documents on disk rather than paper.

You’ll save money on ink and paper immediately.

2. Buy green

Work with suppliers who are willing and able to comply with your environmental policies. Let staff and suppliers know you expect materials and products to meet specific environmental standards.

Buy recycled, refurbished or reconditioned products whenever possible, especially where they compete favourably in price, performance, and quality with new ones.

3. Don’t buy – hire or lease

Lease copiers, computers and other equipment from manufacturers that will take them back and recycle them properly at the end of their life.

If you’re only going to use some types of technology occasionally, hire them instead, or share rarely used equipment with other businesses in your area.

4. What a turn-off

It’s worth knowing that most machines when left in standby mode are still consuming 80 per cent of the power they use when switched on. Turn off lights, computers and other devices when you’re not using them, especially after hours and on weekends.

Install timers to turn off the power after hours.

Copies.com