The environment is more important today than it has ever been. Companies worldwide go to great lengths to reduce their carbon emissions and minimise environmental impact. It is simply no longer a sound business strategy to turn a blind-eye to what is clearly becoming one of the most critical issues in contemporary society. Understandably, manufacturers of office equipment, whose photocopiers and multifunction printers consume considerable amounts of energy in office environments the world-over have to be a part of the solution and companies like Canon, renowned for its technological innnovation, have gone to great lengths to ensure devices match-up to growing expectations in this area. But understanding exactly which standards manufacturers hold themselves to - seeing through all the acronyms and symbols - can be something of a minefield. Here we provide the most straightforward guide we can....
Many individuals/companies looking to purchase new photocopiers/multifunction printers will have encountered the acronym WEEE. WEEE, whenever it is seen, is a reference to the European Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment which has as its aim the reduction of waste and its impact on the environment. The directive came into force in 2005 and since that time, key office equipment manufacturers have been making efforts to facilitate its application - Canon, for instance, has set up recylcing systems on a collective and individual level to provide for the recovery of WEEE in each EU country. The principal aim of the WEEE directive was that by December 2006, a rate of separate collection of at least 4 kilos on average per inhabitant per year of WEEE from private households would be achieved.
More generally, the WEEE Directive has encouraged manufacturers to become ever-more conscious of the disposal implications of the devices they produce, for when they reach the end of their functioning lives. Canon for example is striving to make its products smaller and lighter and has achieved a 15% reduction in product weight in 2005 compared with 2000, with just a few exceptions where products have offered comparatively higher levels of functionality. Canon has also striven for greater recyclability goals of 75% recyclable mass (for re-use and materials recycling) and 85% recoverable by mass (including thermal recycling).
Blue Angel is a German envronmental certification scheme for products and services that are produced with a level of environmental awareness. Blue Angel is one of the first and best-known eco certification labels worldwide. Label-bearing products are selected by an independent jury in line with defined criteria and have been since 1978. Today Blue Angel have accredited 10,000 products across around 80 different product categories. When it comes to office printing devices (RAL U2 122). Blue Angel criteria are as follows:
-Minimised pollutant impact on indoor air quality.
-Low energy consumption in idle mode for enhanced climate protection
-Low noise operation that should not interfere with users concentration
-Use of recycled paper
-Duplex unit for double-sided printing on high-end appliances
Reach is a short-hand for the European Union legislation EC No 19071 2006 which enforces a review of the properties of chemicals to identify the associated human health and environmental risks. The legislation ensures that accurate information is communicated to suppliers, customers and consumers alike.
The candidate list of substances of very high concern under Article 59 of the REACH Regulation was published on 28 October 2008 and has been regularly amended since.
The Energy Star programme, run by the Environmental Protection Agency in the US promotes the development and introduction of energy efficient products to reduce global warming and minimise environmental impact. At any one time only 50% of products in any one product category will meet the standard required to carry the Energy Star emblem. Crucially, Energy Star evaluates products in the EU as well as the US, so manufacturers are not required to meet different standards for different markets. Canon, acknowledging the significance of Energy Star in consumer consciousness has been working in conjunction with the scheme for almost 15 years now, ensuring almost all of its devices/photocopiers qualify for recognition - 400 products in all.
Typical Energy Consumption is the new standard for declaring energy consumption and a methodology for testing and comparing the performance of imaging equipment products, measuring the typical energy consumed by a product while in operation for a week. All manufacturers of photocopiers and multifunction printers today provide TEC ratings, giving device users both an idea of likely energy costs and environmental impact.
Falcon hopes this condensed guide to environmental standards for photocopiers and other reprographics products will be of value to those organisations and individuals currently looking to replace office equipment.
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