If It Prints, I'll Let You Know

GreenTech Seal of Approval Checks from Product to Manufacturer

We had quite an enlightenment over the weekend, having listened in for a couple of days to talks regarding energy efficient lighting systems and how these can have an impact to our environment and growing concerns regarding climate change. Among the things that were discussed were waste management, albeit specific to lamps. There was an overview provided, however, for e-waste disposal in general.

This got us thinking once again about environmental issues and how the printing industry can help, having been branded as it were as one of the sources of some of the contributing factors to environmental issues.

PC Magazine came up with its own “seal of approval” for printers and scanners that take the “green” route: GreenTech. The thought process that went into the “awarding” of a GreenTech seal involves the consideration of a product’s features and its manufacturer’s practices and processes. A buyer should also go through this same thought process, but being as it were that consumers generally will not have a more in-depth look at the ins and outs of the industry, it is certainly a big help that a third-party organization can do the thinking for us.

So what exactly are the things that were considered before a printer or a scanner earns the GreenTech seal? The minimization of waste, the ecological certifications that the machine has earned and scanner-specific issues (which are needed when evaluating multi-function printers that include scanning as a feature) are looked into at the machine level. PC Magazine then looks at the packaging and recycling practices as well as the commitment that the machine’s manufacturer makes towards environmental issues.