Samsung

Released 04/02/2010

European businesses not reducing wasted office resources

Samsung Electronics has released the results of a European-wide survey, which reveals that businesses are not taking the proactive steps required to reduce wasted paper and toner in the office printing environment.

The survey of more than 4,500 public and private sector workers reports that four out of five (83%) organisations are not implementing basic technologies to reduce the volume of wasted printed material.

UK results
Compared to our continental counterparts, UK organisations are among the best in Europe at implementing technologies to reduce the volume of wasted printed material, but still three quarters are not taking basic steps to minimise waste.

Compared to the rest of Europe, the UK has the most organisations that have introduced a PIN printing solution to track the volume of printed materials individuals and departments are creating, but only 16% have implemented this solution. At seven per cent, even fewer UK organisations have a system where users need to swipe a card to claim their prints.

Across all age groups, nearly two thirds (64%) of UK workers say that they prefer to read documents on paper rather than on the screen, slightly lower than the European average of 69%. While it might be expected that older workers would prefer hard copy, the survey has found the opposite; almost three quarters (74%) of those under the age of 35 in the UK find it easier to read documents in hard copy, in comparison to less than two thirds (60%) at age 35 and over.

The big picture
According to research from InfoTrends, 779bn sheets of paper were used in homes and offices across Western Europe last year alone; enough paper to fill Wembley Stadium five times.

According to the survey, only 11% of organisations have introduced a PIN printing solution to track the amount of printed material individuals and departments are creating. At just five per cent, even fewer have a system where users need to swipe a card to claim their prints. The research shows that 23% of business in the UK are taking advantage of PIN or swipe card systems, while Sweden has the lowest uptake of these solutions, with just one in 10 respondents having them in their organisation.

"We have found that over half of all document output costs are associated with purchasing paper and toner," said Anthony Penton, head of marketing, Samsung Print Division. "Reducing waste is an ideal way to minimise not only costs, but also a company's environmental footprint. With workers still dependent on the printed page, simple technologies can help companies reduce print volume in the short-term, and educate users about suitable printing behaviour in the longer-term."

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