Submitted by Star Micronics
Retailers have always carefully considered speed and image quality when evaluating point of sale and other printers. However, with more and more merchants practicing “greentailing”—i.e., selling and using products that have the least possible negative impact on the environment—energy efficiency and other environmentally friendly features have become equally important printer purchasing criteria.
While lower power consumption plays an important role in creating “greener” printers, keep in mind that a major portion of C02 damage from POS printers stems from paper. This must be addressed via paper-conservation measures, such as the ability to set very narrow top margins on cash register receipts, as well as to decrease receipt width and even give customers the option of declining receipts altogether. A combination of these features can decrease paper consumption by approximately 70%, as well as lead to less frequent paper roll changes and, in turn, lower transportation and logistics costs. As for energy savings, the “greenest” printers can be left “on” in a “sleep” mode without consuming any power when not actually in operation.
Receipts generated by Star Micronics’ recently launched TSP100ECO thermal receipt printer, which is part of the futurePRNT line, have a 1/8-in. top margin, rather than the traditional wider margin found on most receipts. Their width can be decreased as well. The unit also offers halogen-free composition, a “receipt on demand” option and a “sleep” setting. Star Micronics has purchased carbon offsets for each unit equal to the manufacturing process and five years of operation—or about 33.9 kg apiece.
Click here to read more about Star Micronics’ environmentally friendly printer products.
