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HP Announces New ‘Forest-Positive’ Eco-Friendly Strategy for Printing

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At its HP Reinvent conference for its channel partners this week, HP  announced a new strategy for print sustainability, pledging that every page printed with HP will support a “forest-positive future,” carbon neutrality, and materials designed for a reduced impact on the planet.

HP announced that:

  • It reached its goal of 100-percent zero deforestation with its HP-branded paper two years ahead of schedule, and is on track to achieve zero deforestation of its paper-based packaging by 2020 – marking a major milestone in the company’s journey toward a forest positive future.
  • HP’s vision is to deliver carbon neutral offerings; HP customers have reported a 33-percent annual reduction in carbon emissions, energy consumption, and cost per device with HP’s Managed Print Services.
  • HP printers support closed-loop recycled plastics, specific products made with up to 30-percent closed-loop, post-consumer plastics.
  • HP announced new energy-efficient EcoSmart LaserJet printer and EcoSmart black toner with lower melt temperatures that result in lower energy consumption (because the toner can be melted and fused with paper at a lower temperature, less energy is required).
  • HP noted that according to a supplies study,  over 50 percent of today’s U.S. workforce expects employers to commit to sustainable practices and this impacts employee recruitment, retention and advocacy.

Enrique Lores, president of HP Inc.’s Imaging and Printing business, commented: “We are redefining the power of print to create a positive, lasting change for the planet, its people and our communities. HP’s commitment to sustainability guides how we do business and drives the way our printers are designed, made and used. Today at HP Reinvent, we took one step further by pledging to lead the industry in making every page you print sustainable.”

Forest Positive Future

HP also announced that it aims to make every page printed on an HP printer forest positive by extending beyond its consumer printers, which are forest positive, to its entire portfolio to include commercial printers.

In 2016, HP says it achieved 100-percent zero deforestation associated with HP-branded paper, nearly two years ahead of schedule, marking a milestone towards its goal for a forest-positive future.

HP also said its paper-based product packaging zero-deforestation goal is on track for 2020. In addition, 100 percent of HP branded paper sold in North America is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, ensuring transparency and responsible forest management.

Carbon Neutral

HP says it’s taking an ambitious step today towards its vision of carbon neutral printing with the introduction of its new energy-efficient EcoSmart LaserJet printer and EcoSmart black toner, which has a lower melt temperature, so that toner can be fused to paper at a lower temperature, thereby reducing energy consumption.

HP also says its Managed Print Services (MPS) offerings help customers achieve sustainability goals and better their bottom line, and that b.y partnering with HP, customers have reported a 33-percent annual reduction in carbon emissions, energy consumption and costs.

Circular Economy

HP says it continues to support a circular economy with its consumer and business products, recently reinventing its printer suite to include closed-loop recycled plastics, with HP ENVY and Tango printers comprised of 30-percent closed-loop recycled plastics.

Since 2000, over 199 million pounds of recycled content plastic have been used in 3.9 billion HP Original ink and toner cartridges. Two years ago, HP introduced the first HP Original ink cartridges made with plastic bottles sourced from Haiti. As of today, the company has sourced more than 550,000 pounds of ocean-bound plastic for use in its products – the equivalent of more than 12 million plastic bottles that might otherwise have washed into the ocean and waterways. 

According to HP, its  R&D teams invest up to five years engineering each new generation of toner and ink cartridges to deliver quality printing, and that 100-percent of toner cartridges and 80 percent of ink cartridges contain recycled content.

Customer Expectations

A 2019 Edelman study on trust disclosed that a staggering 67 percent of consumers self-identify as Belief-Driven Buyers and believe brands can be a force for social good. In the workplace, initial findings of a global supplies study conducted by HP reveals a company’s commitment to sustainability impacts employee recruitment, retention, and advocacy, with over 50 percent of today’s U.S. workforce expecting sustainable practices by employers .

HP stated: “HP Original Supplies are engineered to provide the highest quality printing experience. For HP, this means prioritizing the safety of your printer and the planet by producing reliable ink and toner cartridges, while raising the awareness of the harmful impacts clone and imitation cartridges can have on the environment, print quality, and customer costs.”

“Transform to Perform”

HP says it’s challenging the printing industry to transform and continuously innovate. The company’s pledge for print sustainability announced today aims to protect forests, reduce carbon emissions, and use more recycled materials. It emphasized that circular-economy models help decouple economic growth and natural resource consumption while driving greater competitiveness, noting “Transforming print sustainability is not only good for the planet – it’s good for business.”

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