Our planet is a fantastic place, but it needs our help to survive and thrive. April 22 is Earth Day, an annual event that celebrates the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of why we need to protect our planet’s resources. If you’re looking for eco-friendly practices for your business or office, here are a few green printing and computing tips to consider.

If you’re looking for eco-friendly practices for your business or office this Earth Day, here are a few green printing and computing tips to consider.
Printers
  • Purchase or lease an energy-efficient multifunction printer (MFP) instead of using separate devices such as printers, copiers, and fax machines.
  • Print on both sides whenever possible to save paper.
  • Purchase recycled paper.
  • Remove images before printing if you don’t need them. This will save on ink.
  • Use ink-saving or toner-saving modes for printing draft copies. Use the printer’s Eco mode if it has one.
  • Refill ink and toner cartridges or recycle them.
  • Often, we print out of habit. Only print if you really need to.
Computers
  • Purchase/lease energy-efficient computers.
  • If you’re going to be away from your computer for several hours or overnight, power down the entire system. Computers don’t need to be on when they’re not in use.
  • Put your computer in standby mode after a shorter timeframe of inactivity.
  • Keep your computer equipment regularly updated. Newer machines are much more energy-efficient than those that are even just a few years old.
  • Don’t throw away your old computers. Recycle them or give them to a local charity, school, or nonprofit.