Getting the Most Out of Your Printer’s Consumables

Maximizing Your Printer’s Consumables and Eliminating Wastage

A lot of us have already embraced the work-from-home set-up. Besides the most common equipment like computers and laptops, some have already invested on printer for higher productivity and efficiency.

While this trend has increased over the past years, it’s likely that your consumables and printing cost have also increased drastically. Not to mention the added waste of those empty ink or toner cartridges that you simply throw out once they run dry.

Well, here’s the good news – there are several ways you can get the most out of your consumables.

We will share some handy tips to maximize your consumables, keep your running costs low and more importantly, reduce waste!

Ensure your printer fits your needs!

If you have not decided on the type of printer to buy yet, then this is the time for you to consider and answer these questions to make sure you will make the right choice.

  1. Type of document you expect to print. Are they in color or monochrome?
  2. Print volume. How many pages a month do you expect to print?
  3. Does the multifunction device support cloud connectivity or include scanning features that allow you to digitize your work?

Remember that making the wrong decision in terms of printers and consumables can result in paper and toner or ink wastage. This will leave you with an increase in running costs and worse, damage to the environment.

Do our printers have sustainability features?

Our printers feature a technology that allows you to print smarter and in a way that reduces your printing cost and the wastage of consumables.

For instance, you can opt to print in draft mode, in monochrome or black and white when printing internal documents with simple texts, and when color ink is not necessary. Some of our MFCs also have a toner save function that allows you to save toner when printing this type of document.

You can also maximize the page by using both sides to minimize the use of paper. This is particularly cost-efficient when printing high volume of documents.

Lastly, our printers have the option to keep them in eco mode, sleep, or deep sleep to avoid unnecessary electricity consumption when not in use.

Ever considered high-yield cartridges for your machine?

Purchasing high-yield cartridges may be a bit expensive on the initial investment. However, with the number of pages you can print and the less frequency you need to change the cartridges, you can significantly reduce your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) in the long run.

Remember as well to wait until the cartridges are completely empty before you replace them. Some printers will give a warning before the ink or toner comes to its end. But guess what? you do not need to rush to replace them. In fact, you can do a quick check-up by taking the cartridge out and giving it a little shake to distribute the remaining powder inside. You may be surprised how many more printouts you can produce before they actually run out! 😊

What Value-Added Benefits you can offer to the Workflow?

With the continuous adaptation of the work-from-home set-up by most companies, the digitalization of documents and automation of process workflows have also been embraced tremendously. These changes allow the employees to work effectively even in a remote setting.

Brother MFCs can help with more than just printing your documents. With its added features such as cloud connectivity and advanced scanning capabilities, they can very well help with digitizing documents. This allows you to not only work with continued efficiency but to also minimize the usage of your consumables.

Recycle!

It has been a usual practice by most of us to simply throw cartridges when they ran out. The heavy metals composing the cartridges badly pollute the soil and water, and it takes hundreds of years for a single cartridge to decompose. Unfortunately, 375 million empty cartridges are not recycled, thrown, and left in landfills every year. Imagine how many centuries it will take for all those to decompose?

The good news is, there is actually a responsible way to dispose of your empty cartridges without damaging our environment. You just have to exert a little effort to release that desire and commitment to help save the earth.

Brother is a proud sponsor and full funding partner of the Cartridges 4 Planet Ark recycling program. The program provides you with a free, convenient, environmentally accredited, and guaranteed way to recycle used printer cartridges.

To learn more about Brother Group’s commitment to realizing a sustainable society, please visit https://sdgsstory.global.brother/e/environment/

10 easy ways to help the environment

At Brother we work constantly to reduce our impact on the environment.

In fact, we were the first printer manufacturer to receive Blue Angel certification on inkjet devices. A Blue Angel label signifies long service life, low energy usage and minimal environmental impact.

As part of our environmental policy we are also committed to helping our customers to do their bit. We all want to be greener, and we’re here to help. That’s why we’ve come up these top 10 easy environment tips that can help you make a real difference.

10 ways for a happier planet

1. Recycle your Brother print cartridges

Just package them up and send them back to us, free of charge, and we’ll do the rest. Doing this also supports our work with the environmental charity Cool Earth.

2. Print double sided

A simple change to your print settings can halve your paper usage in a single click.

3. Only print the pages you need

It sounds obvious, but we’ve all printed 30-page documents when we only actually want a couple of pages!

4. Don’t leave computers and other appliances in standby

According to the Energy Saving Trust, up to 16% of domestic energy consumption is caused by appliances left in standby mode*.

5. Buy from companies with eco-friendly policies

If customers support greener ways of doing business, more companies will adopt them.

6. Recycle your old or broken printer

Old printers don’t belong in your bin! It’s easy to find your nearest recycling center online.

7. Use newer, more energy efficient machines

When you’re buying a new printer, look for its energy rating and environmental credentials.

8. Print grayscale

If you’re printing a black & white document, go to settings and click on the ‘Grayscale’ option. It can help reduce the amount of ink you use.

9. Consider your print quality settings

Adjust your print quality settings when printing draft documents. Lowering the resolution will save you ink and time.

10. Use genuine supplies

Using original ink cartridges and toner cartridges minimises your energy consumption. Brother printers are designed to work with your genuine supplies to reduce waste and the impact that you have on the environment.

The future of plastics – 10 hacks to reduce plastic waste

Tired of the negative headlines about plastic being incinerated, landfilled or polluting our oceans, the world is waking up to the plastic problem.

Building on recent positive developments, including the launch of the first-ever mission to rid the oceans of plastics by a Dutch non-profit organisation, and the European parliament’s vote to ban a wide range of single-use plastics by 2021 – charities, businesses, politicians, governments and international bodies are all now becoming drivers of change.

However, perhaps more important than any of this, consumers are keen to take action. So as individuals, what can we do? To help, here are 10 life hacks to reduce everyday plastic use.

  1. Shop with fabric or biodegradable bags – fabric bags are known for being sturdy and reusable. Meanwhile, biodegradable shopping bag alternatives are also on the rise. They are as versatile as plastic bags, but being compostable can also be used as food waste bin liners.
  2. Give food containers a quick clean – across Europe, food residue is a major prohibitor to recycling. If you clean plastic food containers properly, you could help to turn the tide on needless incineration and landfill.
  3. Buy a reusable water bottle – unlimited refills not only help to slash waste, your reusable bottle offers a great way to bring excitement to your water by adding fruit, herbs or natural ingredients such as lemon, lime or ginger.
  4. Switch to bamboo toothbrushes and earbuds – make positive change a daily routine. These pioneering eco alternatives are made from organic materials and can be composted.
  5. Say no to plastic straws or use a paper version – if you order a drink, say no to plastic straws or request a paper one. They are strong, biodegradable and a great alternative to plastic.
  6. Goodbye cling film – wrap sandwiches in vegan wax film. It is malleable, water-resistant, airtight and food stays fresh.
  7. Shop locally to avoid pointless packaging – nature is great at packaging and its solutions are planet friendly. If you shop at local, organic stores where fruit and vegetables are loose, you can take exactly what you need while avoiding needlessly or excessively packaged items.
  8. Switch to a reusable coffee cup – contrary to what many people think, take-away coffee containers are not made from paper, but plastic and they are not recyclable. Bringing your own cup can also lead to discounts and rewards in certain coffee shops.
  9. Refuse plastic cutlery – instead of accepting disposable cutlery when you buy a takeaway lunch, keep a metal set in your desk drawers.
  10. Avoid microbeads – products such as face washes often contain abrasive micro plastics for exfoliation. These make their way directly into the water cycle and are extremely damaging to marine life. Either avoid microplastics or opt for products that use natural alternatives, such as nut shells.

Brother is passionate about improving its plastic footprint and is working towards the circular economy principles of reduce, reuse, refurbish, repair and recycle.

Our return and recycle scheme enable customers to send us their used printer toner cartridges for remanufacturing or recycling at no cost.

Beyond this, when you return your printer cartridges you are also helping our charity partner Cool Earth protect endangered rainforest, meaning recycling with Brother has the double benefit of tackling plastic waste and funding environmental protection.