Good Environmental Choice Australia - www.goodenvironmentalchoice.org.au

PHOTOCOPIERS

The environmental loads from the production, service and use of photocopiers are widespread and numerous.

Therefore it is important to develop low energy photocopiers containing re-usable and or recyclable components in order to reduce the amount pollutants going into the environment and reducing the amount of energy used.

Consumers should aim their purchasing decision at products which provide :

Minimal material types and amount used
Minimal use of environmentally hazardous substances during manufacturing/use
Low energy consumption and noise during use
Issues of disposal and recycling at the end of the consumption life

In the first stage, the manufacture of photocopiers involves heavy metals and solvents that have detrimental effects on the environment. However, to narrow the scope of this paper, we will focus on the last two stages.

Stage 2: Resources consumed during usage

Power Consumption

The International Energy Agency (www.iea.org) has compiled statistics that showed that photocopiers alone consume about 10% of office equipment electricity demand and in fact, more than 90% of the energy is consumed when photocopiers are not in use. The latter figure may seem exaggerated, but consider that photocopiers are generally left on for immediate use when they are required. Too many, this convenience outweighs the amount of energy that could otherwise be saved. Moreover, the 90% figure also supports the fact that photocopiers are under-utilized in most instances.

In the broader context, the amount of energy consumption can be reduced by 65-75 % by merely switching office equipment off when not in use. For instance, photocopiers on standby mode throughout the night use the same amount of energy that is used to print 5,000 copies. Measures such as performance contracting, which refers to getting energy service companies to bear the initial burden of equipments that save energy, have been suggested by the government. These companies earn back their initial capital outlay in the long run when the institution hiring them gives a portion of their cost savings. Unfortunately though, many companies are not willing to invest time and effort in reducing energy wastage.

Trees & Deforestation, Paper Consumption & Chlorine Bleaching

The felling of trees to provide wood -pulp for the manufacture of paper results in the loss of natural habitats through deforestation and this in turn leads to increases in greenhouse gases, the cause of Global Warming. The photocopying process consumes large quantities of paper and the paper industry generates a host of problems for the environment. In pulp production and chlorine bleaching to make the paper white, emissions of sulfur gases contribute to air pollution while the presence of chemicals such as Dioxin used in the latter clog rivers and harm wildlife when it accumulates in the fatty tissues of fish and other animals (known as bio-accumulation).

Stage 3: Manner in which the photocopier's components are eventually discarded

Toners and Landfills

Over six million toner cartridges are used in the UK every year and consumption is rising by 15% per year. It is estimated that about fifty percent of these end up in landfill sites, representing a significant waste of non-renewable resources. Many components of toner cartridges are not biodegradable.

What is being done?

In the United States, the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency have labeled energy efficient products under its Energy Star logo. Energy Star photocopiers automatically shut down after a period of inactivity, reducing annual electricity costs by more than 60 percent since they require less energy to warm up. Singapore's equivalent of this endorsement are products under the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS) that was introduced last year. At present, this scheme is still in its infancy so no photocopiers are currently labelled.

For more specific information on these products use the Good Environmental Choice Standard for Photocopiersr in Australia. This standard is used to assess the environmental performance of photocopiers in Australia and determine if they deserve the Australian 'Good Environmental Choice' Label.

GECA 10-2004 - PHOTOCOPIERS