Office printing is a necessity in most cases. From marketing materials, to inter-office memos, to shipping labels and more, there's no way to get around some types of printouts. If going paperless is impossible, there are lots of strategies you can use to go green with office printing. Consider these ideas.

1. Replace Old Equipment

Every generation of printers, copiers, and computers seems to use less power. If your office is full of old power-hungry machines, it may be time to consider an upgrade. Most companies pair their printer descriptions with information about how environmentally friendly the machinery is.

Ideally, look for a machine that's big enough to meet your needs, without being too big. Excessive large equipment wastes energy unnecessarily. Also, look for power-saving features such as automatically turning to low power mode when the printer is not in use.

2. Use Refillable Cartridges

Cartridges for most printers feature plastic casing that won't break down quickly in a landfill. To protect the planet, consider using refillable cartridges. You deliver or mail in your old cartridges, and in exchange, you get other recycled cartridges that have been repaired and filled with ink. Then, your old cartridges are recycled and added to the supply.

3. Use Recycled Paper

Whenever possible, use paper from recycled consumer waste. If you don't like the quality of recycled paper for use with clients or marketing materials, consider using virgin paper for those purposes, but use recycled paper in the office with your colleagues and for internal reports.

4. Look for All-in-One Machines

Rather than having multiple machines drawing power, consider reducing the number of printing and copying machines you have in the office. If it's feasible with your work flow, you may want to invest in all-in-one-machines. Depending on the model you select, these machines can handle copying, faxing, printing, and scanning.

5. Go Digital When Possible

In the modern business world, so many things are now available digitally that you may be surprised at where you can reduce paper usage by going digital. For instance, if you currently print contracts for clients and customers to sign, you may be able to substitute file sharing software or emailing for the contracts and then, take care of the signature with a digital signature app. Similarly, if you print drafts of projects so that other contributors can make notes directly on the draft, you may be able to switch to a collaboration app that makes that process digital.

To get more tips on going green with office printing, contact a printing expert.