Printing That Won’t Cost The Earth

The benefit of setting a limit means that paper is not wasted on documents that are submitted and subsequently abandoned by the user. Marneffe claims that this is a common source of paper and materials wastage.

On-access printing also allows documents to be routed away from the local print station if, for example, a long print run is being executed by another user or when a document is required elsewhere in the organisation. An executive due to visit the boardroom can choose a station nearby and avoid carrying printouts openly – a facility that might have helped senior counterterrorist police officer Bob Quick, who lost his job over documents carried in plain view.

Lobbying for EU policies

Apart from flying the flag for Lexmark’s printing policies, Marneffe takes an active role in EU policy development through membership of two lobbying trade associations: Digital Europe and TechAmerica Europe. Both organisations advise EU ministers on sustainability issues affecting the print industry and help to initiate and shape legislation to ensure that the aims are achievable.

Marneffe feels that this role is essential if sustainability is a serious aim. She said, “I think it is a good idea because in the field of sustainability we are all learning and the politicians are learning as well. There are specific issues in the print industry that we have to alert the MEPs about.”

As a go-between for Lexmark’s US-based product development teams and the legislative processes of the EU, Marneffe holds an important position in keeping the company within the legal demands of the European parliament and informing and investigating ways in which sustainability can be improved.

The future – the return of paper archives?

An interesting area of research she is currently investigating may turn current preconceptions upside down. The paperless office has long been as unachievable as the quest for the Holy Grail but has resulted in a massive decrease in the number of filing cabinets sold.

Marneffe suggests that long-term storage of data on hard disks, compact discs and tape may not be the best answer from a sustainability angle. Perhaps a move back to paper storage could provide a more cost and energy efficient solution. With RFID tagging of hard-copy now allowing better retrieval methods, scanning paper-sourced information into a system and printing out archived documents is worth reassessing.

“It is only an area of investigation and we will not know the results either way until we assess the research but it is an example of how we must constantly be rethinking current practices in the light of new technologies and sustainability issues,” she concludes.