GREEN SEAL S COPIERS. Selecting a Copier Not an Easy Choice

Transcription

1 R E P O R T COPIERS A s offices become environmentally aware, they naturally desire to select more environmentally appropriate products and closely examine their choices. In this report, we examine a number of mid-volume and low-volume black-andwhite, plain paper copiers that are most likely to be found in small and medium-sized offices. We suggest environmental criteria that you can use for copier selection and identify a number of available copiers that are energy efficient and environmentally responsible based on these criteria. We also discuss copier use strategies and examine a number of multi-function machines. JUNE 1997 Can your office s environmental choices include selecting a copier? YOU BET! GREEN SEAL S Selecting a Copier Not an Easy Choice The selection of a suitable office copier, even under the best of conditions, is never a simple process. Typical performance criteria such as speed, ease of use and reliability need to be taken into account and balanced by the copier s features, cost, dealer/ distributor reputation and service. Recently, manufacturers have also started to introduce a more affordable group of digital and color copiers, further crowding the field and making the choices more difficult. In addition to the technological advances and price changes affecting new copiers, the changing work pattern the advent of the home and virtual offices as well as new methods for delivering documents electronically over networks, have altered the means of, and requirements for, document duplication. Another complicating factor yet is the new crop of extremely capable multi-function Continued on page 2

2 Selecting a Copier Continued from page 1 machines. These elements have combined to make what was once a simple choice into many sleepless nights for the office manager. All things considered, can the traditional criteria for copier selection be integrated with environmental concerns? The answer is a qualified. Finding a good copier that is also environmentally preferable requires additional work and entails an entirely new set of questions in addition to the performance and reliability questions. And when the selection may affect your office s indoor air quality, there are questions you can t afford not to ask. Keep in mind that environmental and economic factors need not be mutually exclusive. For example, a copier machine with fast and reliable duplexing (copying on both sides) speed can actually make double-siding more acceptable to The Choose Green Report is published monthly for Green Seal Environmental Partners. To become an Environmental Partner, or to receive a sample copy of this newsletter, contact Green Seal at (202) x 21. Editor, Mark Petruzzi Contributor, My Ton Environmental Partners Program Manager, Lisa Carr Design, Cutting Edge Graphics This report was made possible through the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Printed on Green Seal-certified Mohawk Satin Cool White Recycled paper, 25% postconsumer content Copyright 1997, Green Seal, Inc. GREEN SEAL Environmental Partner users and can reduce office paper use 25% or more, saving you money in the process; a good dealer/ manufacturer may also have its own recycling or refurbishing network set up to take back old or worn machines, thereby reducing the economic and environmental disposal costs. How Copiers Affect the Environment Finding a good copier that is also environmentally friendly does require some extra looking, but it can pay off for both the environment and your bottom line. Copiers affect the environment in a number of ways. From their energy consumption, paper use, ozone and other emissions during their office operation, to the chemicals potentially released during their manufacture and disposal, they can affect offices, workers and their environment, both inside as well as outside the office. Energy consumption: Copiers are one of the most energyintensive pieces of equipment in an office. Recent studies by the American Council for an Energy- Efficient Economy and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers estimated that certain existing medium-speed copiers can use from 1,500 to 2,500 watts when they are operating, while some high-speed copiers can use from 2,500 to 3,500 watts when they are operating, (3,000 watts is the equivalent of about 20 operating desktop personal computers). A significant portion of energy up to 70% of total energy consumed by a medium-speed copier is also needed to keep the copiers warm during idle periods, particularly for copiers that are left on at night and on weekends. A notable quantity of energy is also required in the manufacture of copy paper. In fact, it takes about 10 times as much energy to manufacture a sheet of paper than to copy onto it. Ozone and other Emissions: Energy consumption can lead to environmental degradation from oil and gas exploration, as well as air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels results in the release of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. Scientists believe that increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere can lead to a warming of the earth s surface temperatures and affect global climate. In addition, office photocopier machines that employ the heat and pressure fusing process can be a source of ozone, a component of indoor air-pollution. Ozone in sufficient quantities can irritate respiratory systems. Copiers can also be a source of noise, heat and dust, which are also generated during their operation. Ozone and toner dust from improperly installed and ventilated copiers have been thought to be contributors to the sick-building syndrome. 2 Choose Green Report

3 Waste and Disposal: Office copiers also belong to a class of products containing a large number of complex parts parts containing electronic circuitry designed for imaging and photoconduction whose manufacture and assembly (and eventually, disposal) require a large number of chemicals and materials, some of which are toxic, hazardous, or ozone-depleting. Although some copiers may contain less circuitry than the average PC, the manufacturing processes for copiers, including control circuit boards, are similar to PC manufacturing processes and can result in the same types of wastes. The discarding of used office paper, old copiers, used toner cartridges and their packaging also contribute to the solid waste disposal problem. The disposal of old copiers poses significant challenges, not only because of their mixed materials, but also because the current pace of technological innovation can render many machines obsolete before they wear out. The recycling of office equipment is often hampered by their complexity, the many types of materials that constitute their makeup, and lack of facilities and established methods for recycling. Recent Improvements Because copiers now have to compete with other forms of output, manufacturers have come up with better and more efficient designs and features. A number of copiers are now more recycle-friendly: some companies, including and Kodak, have instituted remanufacturing and leasing programs, relieving users and distributors from disposal responsibilities. Copiers that can be recycled or remanufactured at the end of their design life can also result in less solid and manufacturing wastes released. Because of indoor air quality concerns, some copiers now also have built in features for ozone and/or dust control. Another area of recent improvement has been copier energy-efficiency: copiers are now designed to use less energy while idling, and some also feature faster duplexing (copying on both sides) speeds or are capable of copying on to both sides of paper in a single pass (without being stored in a duplex tray); a number of copiers, including machines manufactured by Océ, are also Continued on page 4 Technology Trends and Copiers The total installed population of copiers in the US is estimated to have exceeded 7 million units in 1996, up from 5.7 million in These copiers will account for over 700 billion copies annually, or more than 2,500 copies each year (about 5 reams of paper) for every man, woman and child in America. Interestingly, the estimated number of photocopies made last year in North America actually declined slightly. Unfortunately, this statistic does not herald the coming of the paper-less office (experts noted that it s better to think about a paper-efficient office). On the contrary, the estimated combined number of copied and computer-printed documents made last year actually increased. As larger amounts of information are being distributed over the Internet and networks, more documents are being printed on computer printers rather than copied. Experts agree that this trend will continue in the near future. This is not to say that copiers will become obsolete. In the traditional office, there will always be a need for copiers, and the number of copiers expected to see service will increase along with the increase in the number of small businesses. Regardless, the sheer number of copies made and machines in use annually can affect the environment in may ways. Choose Green Report 3

4 Recent Improvements Continued from page 3 designed to use less energy while copying as well. Some even turn themselves off during nights and weekends. According to the EPA, copiers that power down or sleep during idle periods (including nights and weekends) can provide energy savings up to 60% or more (see the side bar on Energy Star Copiers below). Similarly, duplexing can reduce office paper use from 25 to percent. For a 20,000 copies a month office (typical for a 25 to person office), that s more than 10 reams of paper and about 40 to 60 dollars saved. Using less energy (and paper through duplexing) not only saves you money, it also helps reduce the amounts of pollutants entering the environment. Using other electronic means (computer fax, storage and ) instead of paper is another way to cut down on paper use. A newly emerging product category is the digital copier. Digital copiers utilize a scan and print process using a laser printer. With this process, copiers can hold the original images in their memory and print them many times rather than cycling through the originals like analog copiers, potentially reducing jams, noise and dust, as well as increasing copying speed. Most can also be used as a network printer with optional hardware. THE ENERGY STAR COPIER PROGRAM The Energy Star Copier program is a part of the Energy Star Office Equipment program, a voluntary program administered by the Office of Atmospheric Pollution Prevention in the US Environmental Protection Agency. The program s goal is to reduce air pollution caused by fossil fuels use, including the reduction of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas released by the combustion of fuels. The program sets voluntary guidelines for energy use by office equipment, including the addition of a power-down feature to reduce equipment energy consumption while idling. For copiers, defined as an imaging unit whose sole function is the production of duplicates from a graphic hard-copy original, the requirements are outlined below in two distinct tiers and include duplexing, time to off-mode (stand-by), recovery time, and offmode (stand-by) power consumption. All black & white plain-paper copiers are eligible under this program. TIER 1 REQUIREMENTS (Effective July, 1995) C OPIER SPEED OFF-MODE POWER ( p er minute) CONSUMPTION ( W) OFF-MODE DEFAULT TIME ( m in) TIER 2 REQUIREMENTS (Effective July, 1997) Manufacturers participate by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with EPA and voluntarily producing equipment that meets the specifications. Equipment that meets the set guidelines is considered compliant and manufacturers are authorized to use the Energy Star label. Most existing Energy Star models are Tier 1 compliant AUTOMATIC DUPLEX MODE 0 to 20 < 5 < 20 to 44 < 40 < 60 Optional Above < 40 < 90 Default COPIER SPEED (per min) LOW- POWER M ODE (W) 0 to 20 None 20 to x cpm + 5 Above 3.85 x cpm + 5 RECOVERY TIME (sec) OFF-MODE POWER (W) OFF-MODE DEFAULT T IME (min) AUTOMATIC DUPLEX MODE < 5 < < 15 < 60 Optional < 20 < 90 Default (and will remain so until the end of their model run). New models (introduced after July 1997) must meet Tier 2 requirements to carry the logo. There is also an Energy Star program for faxes, printers, as well as multi-function devices. For more information, contact the program at 888- STAR-YES. 4 Choose Green Report

5 What to Look for in a Copier Our advice is to begin by selecting copiers based on your day-to-day use (and budget), especially if the need for large batches, color or digital reproductions arises infrequently and can be met by a local copy shop nearby (or if you are in a larger office, by a machine elsewhere in your organization). Proper sizing is one of the most critical selection criteria in terms of energy use. According to the US EPA, a midvolume copier installed in a lowvolume office can use 70 percent more energy per page than an efficient low-volume copier. If your office is undergoing some changes such as adding new printers and/or networks, it may be time to reevaluate your needs. Chances are that you may find your volume needs declining. A generalized size selection guide is presented in the table below. Keep in mind that the table is based on your average daily/ monthly copying. If your use pattern is different (for example, if all of your copying is done during a particular period of each week or month), then some adjustments may be required. Once the speed and features are decided upon, we suggest that you take the environment into account and add the criteria that we have developed below to your list of copier must-haves, such as control features and reliability. Energy Efficiency: Choose Energy Star compliant copiers. Copiers that meet energyefficiency guidelines for their DAILY AVERAGE Suggested Copier Use and Speed MONTHLY AVERAGE 5 00 copies 8,000 9, ,000 19,000 1,000 1,499 20,000 29,000 1,500 2,000,000 40,000 category can save you energy and money from the first day. Look for copiers that can meet the Tier 2 criteria (effective as of July, 1997), as they use less energy. Duplexing: Choose a copier with an Choose automatic duplexing a copier with feature. an automatic Copiers larger duplexing than personal size (20 cpm or feature... more) should it can pay for offer the itself in the capabilities for duplexing. If cost of paper copiers are saved. shipped with duplexing capability, the 2 machines should offer duplexing as the default mode. A duplexing option can pay for itself in the cost of paper saved. Two other important and related factors are duplexing speed and tray capacity. Capable copiers should 1 SUGGESTED COPIER SPEED NOTES 20 cpm If your daily volume is below 400, chose a 20 cpm with good features & duplex cpm Choose a good 25 cpm if you tend to be on the low range. 44 cpm This is about 150 to 200 copies per hour for 8 hours a day! 55 cpm Most small or medium sized offices would not reach this volume not slow down significantly when making double-sided copies, and they should be able to make a good number of double sided sets. Choose the fastest duplexing speed that you can afford. Duplexing speed should be at least 70% of rated copier speed or faster for user convenience. For non singlepass machines (machines that do not copy both sides in a single pass), look for internal tray capacity of pages or more to allow or more duplexed sets to be copied at one time. Filters and Toner Recovery System: Choose copiers with dust and/or ozone filters. Ozone emissions should not exceed the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 0.1 parts per million (ppm), time-weighted exposure limit over 8 hours of exposure. A number of manufacturers also provides filters for paper dust or waste toner recovery systems. Organic Copier Imaging Assembly (the copier drum ): Choose copiers with assemblies that use organic photoreceptors. A number of copier imaging Continued on page 7 Choose Green Report 5

6 Recommended Copiers FOR CPM FOR 44 CPM FOR 55 CPM MANUFACTURER MODEL RECOMMENDED MACHINES ARE LISTED IN BOLD. MODEL Models listed are not exhaustive. They represent a sample of what s available. More importantly, they are models about which we obtained enough information to render our recommendation. SPEED Rated copier speed by manu-facturers in copies per minute (cpm). A/D Copier type (A = analog; D = digital). DUPLEX CAPABILITY Whether or not the copier is available with duplexing, its tray capacity, and whether it is a standard or optional feature. An asterisk (*) indicates that S PEED A/ D ( c pm) DUPLEX CAPABILITY DUPLEX SPEED the copier can also handle 11 x 17 size duplexing. Sp indicates a single-pass machine no holding tray is needed. DUPLEX SPEED Indicates tested duplexing speed of 8.5 x 11 original (where available) relative to single-side copying speed e (excellent) = 100+ % of single-side speed f (fast) = % of single-side speed m (medium) = % of single-side speed s (slow) = % of single-side speed ENERGY STAR A check mark ( ) indicates Energy Star Tier 1 compliant. A check plus ( *) indicates that this model is Tier 2 ENERGY STAR O 3 / DUST DRUM/ PARTS 220 DC 20 D /Sp/opt e * m Minolta EP f Sharp SF f * Panasonic FP f Ricoh FT m NP m Mita DC-60 Sharp SF-20 A /50/opt m 2 DC D /Sp/opt e * A /40*/std NP-60 m 31 f Minolta EP-2050 f Panasonic FP-77 m Ricoh FT-55 A /50/*opt m * e Toshiba D /50*/std NP A /20/std Mita DC f Ricoh Aficio D /50*/std m 5343C 43 m NP 60 f 43 m Minolta 4050 m Océ 47 A /sp/std s 53 A /50/std f D /100/std f A n o Mita DC A /100*/std N A Ricoh FT m A /50/std compliant. A bar ( ) indicates the model is not compliant. O 3 /DUST A check mark ( ) indicates the copier has a toner dust recovery system or ozone filter installed. indicates the information is not available. DRUM/PARTS A check mark ( ) indicates the copier has OPC (organic photoconductor) drum or parts labelled for recycling. indicates the information is not available. Note that remanufactures some of their copiers. 1997, Green Seal, Inc. Use of these tables for commerical purposes is prohibited. Information in these tables was confirmed by the manufacturer. 6 Choose Green Report

7 What to Look for in a Copier Continued from page 5 assemblies may use arsenic, cadmium or selenium in their photoreceptor, and these heavy metals can be toxic if released into the environment through improper disposal. Alternatively, make sure that your copier(s) will be disposed of properly by asking the dealer/ supplier about their recycling program. Recyclable Cabinet and Structural Components: Choose copiers that have recyclable plastic parts These should be labelled as to the plastic types for ease of recycle and/or reuse. Or again, you can make sure that your copier(s) will be properly disposed of by asking the dealer/supplier about their recycling program. Multi-function Machines Multi-function machines, combining a printer, fax, scanner and even copier into one package, are growing in numbers. For small or home offices, they are a smart choice. For about $1,000 to $2,000, they provide you with the office necessities that would cost over one and a half times that amount if bought separately. New machine combinations are being introduced, combining even more functions and capabilities. Colorcapable equipment is also being introduced. These machines can make a lot of sense for small business offices in terms of functions and cost. They can help get an office up and running in a short time. Surprisingly, they also make environmental sense. Their compactness and multi-capabilities from a single print engine mean that less energy is being consumed one print engine idling uses less energy than three print engines (fax, copier, printer) idling. Their compact size appeals to offices with little space, but their manufacturing also requires less materials and creates less manufacturing waste. The same is true for their packaging and shipping. Use the following criteria to select small multi-function machines (we identify a number of small multifunction devices that may fit the needs of small offices or home offices in the table below): Select machines with only the functions you need. Some machines combine telephone and answering machine capabilities as well as other PC functions (allows additional control from your PC, for example), which can add MANUFACTURER to their complexity and, of course, price. Look for the highest resolution you can afford. These are printers and copiers, after all, and poor quality output means more wasted paper and energy. Choose ink-jets over thermal or laser print engines of similar output quality. Ink-jets use less energy when printing. If you must choose a machine with a laser print engine, look for a machine with a powerdown or idle mode. These machines are just beginning to hit the market and may cost more, but they will save you money in the long run, not to mention the environment. Recommended Small Multi-Function Machines MODEL TYPE PRINT SPEED (page/ min) PRINT RESOLUTION (dots per inch) SCAN RESOLUTION (dots per inch) RECOMMENDED MACHINE IS LISTED IN BOLD. * color print speed TYPE L indicates laser printer engine; I indicates ink-jet printer engine. SLEEP MODE Brother MFC50 L x C2500 I 5/1* 720 x H-P Sharp + + OfficeJet I x F2700M L 4 0 x WorkCenter I 3 0 x , Green Seal, Inc. Use of these tables for commerical purposes is prohibited. Information in these tables was confirmed by the manufacturer. Choose Green Report 7

8 17 RHODE ISLAND AVE., NW SUITE 1050 WASHINGTON, D.C NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID WASHINGTON, DC PERMIT NO MAXIMIZE SAVINGS AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS WITH YOUR EXISTING OR NEW COPIER Here are some points to keep in mind... Choose a correctly sized copier. Using a copier rated for a higher volume (or faster) than your daily needs can double your energy use. Set your copier to auto duplexing. This ensures that the duplexing feature is fully utilized. If your copier does not have a sleep or power-down feature, make sure to turn it off at night and on weekends. Make your copies in batches. This reduces energy consumption by decreasing the time your copier spends in high-power and warm-up modes. Use recycled paper. Look for paper with a minimum of 20% postconsumer recycled content. Most copiers are engineered to work with recycled paper. Set your copier to power-down or sleep mode when it is idling. This can save a significant amount of energy.