How do you print the same amount of color documents yet generate 90 percent less ink and las
er cartridge waste? Just ask the University of Pennsylvania who has begun this sustainability effort by employing “Ink Stick“ color printers in several departments.
The environmental impact of traditional laser and inkjet printing is significant. It takes 3 quarts of oil to produce one toner cartridge and the empty generates about 5 lbs of waste plastic and metal.
“Ink Stick” technology uses a cube-shaped crayon-like block of ink instead of the traditional toner or ink cartridge. The cubes are dropped into a dispenser at the top of the printer and are melted, then deposited on the paper. The ink stick is almost entirely used up in the printing process. There is no empty cartridge so there is very little waste.
University departments using this technology have seen important environmental benefits. In one example, the Residence Hall labs alone managed a reduction of 1,076 pounds of waste (that’s half a ton) by utilizing ten color solid ink machines over 3 years of use.
Penn’s preferred vendor DocuSense, who is is spearheading the technology, sees great potential. “We’ve just scratched the surface for reducing waste and saving petroleum here at the University” said Bob Melso, Vice-President of DocuSense. “If just 10 percent of the current prints came from these machines we’d eliminate approximately 5,000 lbs of waste and save 1,500 gallons of oil yearly”
For more information contact Brian Doty, bdoty@docusense.com phone 1-800-422-0080 or visit www.docusense.com.
