Thursday, October 23, 2008

Going Green In Your Company

There are several easy things that you can do to "greenify" your office. It's always a good bet to follow the mantra of "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle." Remember that going green in not only saving the environment but green offices are more efficient, shaving the bottom line and saving you money. Here are the top 6 tips for going green in your office:

1. Print Double-Sided
Make full use of your paper by printing on both sides. Also, use paper that has been printed on one side for taking notes. Do your proofreading and edits on your computer before printing to reduce the number of prints you make. Try to choose printers and photocopiers that do double-sided printing.

2. Recycle the Paper You Use and Use Recycled Paper
The average American office worker throws out over 150 pounds of paper each year. Paper manufacturing contributes to the deforestation of the planet and in America is responsible for 35 million tons of CO2 a year. When buying printer paper, look for recycled paper with a high percentage of post-consumer content and the minimum of chlorine bleaching.

3. Use Less Energy
Use Energy Star certified office machines to reduce energy use and make sure the Energy Star function is always enabled. Set computers to energy-saving settings and make sure to shut them down when you leave for the day ("standby" settings will continue to draw power even when not in use). Of course, always shut off lights when they are not in use or when you leave for the day. A great way to ensure that this happens is with motion sensors that will turn the lights off when everyone has left the room. Also, look to use Energy Star certified compact fluorescent lights (CFL's) that use 75% less energy to produce the same amount of light, last 10 times longer and produce less heat.

4. Recycle Old Office Equipment
To lesson your office's affect on the number of new pieces of equipment that are manufactured each year, as well that end up in landfills, buy all-in-one multifunction machines. Whenever possible get rid of machines completely by using services such as Internet fax. With an Internet fax service, you can get rid of a fax machine completely as well as reduce the amount of paper and ink that is consumed by the machine. Another way to decrease waste in the office is to recycle old machines or ones no longer in use or donate them to charities where they will continue to be used.

5. Recycle Toner and Inkjet Cartridges
Over 400 million cartridges are dumped into our nations landfills each year and make up more than 1.9 billion pounds of waste. Help reduce this waste by recycling your used toner and inkjet cartridges with your local recycling company or view information on how Green Image Solutions can help you recycle your cartridges for free. Also, using remanufactured cartridges that have been recycling helps reduce waste and save your company money.

6. Go Digital
Implement electronic content management and manage your paper based processes electronically. Paper is inherently slower than electronic and electronic documents can be searched much faster than paper documents. Many common business processes can be handled electronically like claims management, loan originations, contracts, employee correspondence, etc. Effective content management in the office reduces paper, ink and mailing costs and reduce paper transport costs that use energy and create CO2 emissions. Also, avoid or reduce paper storage and archiving by storing documents electronically. Less than 1% of archived papers are ever accessed again and close to 50% of archived documents are duplicates.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle:

Make it easy. Place bins or containers in locations near trash cans where employees normally would throw away recyclables. Be sure to label the bins so that the materials are put in separate receptacles.

Remind Employees. Place signs around your office (not just near the receptacles) reminding employees to recycle. Use e-mails or newsletters to remind everyone what your office is recycling, where the bins are located, and how much they are helping the environment.

Track your progress. If possible, calculate how much you are recycling every so often. Keep a progress chart in a common area that shows employees how many pounds of aluminum, glass or paper they've collected. You might also want to set goals and reward employees when they're reached.

Remember that recycling is only part of the battle. Reducing the amount of trash you produce is important, as is reusing items whenever possible. Purchasing recycled materials helps encourage global recycling, too.

5 Factors You Should Consider Before You Buy Inkjet and Toner Cartridges from Online Stores

1. Are Cheaper Cartridges The Best Choice For Me?

Name brand printer ink is much more expensive compared to compatible and remanufactured cartridges. Cheaper prices should not mean you should sacrifice quality. However, not all of compatible and remanufactured cartridge manufacturers keep quality at the top of their priority list. When you purchase inkjet or laser toner cartridges you need to treat price and quality as equals.

Green Image Solutions is adamant about selecting high quality compatible and remanufactured cartridge manufacturers. We continually and thoroughly test cartridges, and only the ones that meet Green Image Solutions’ high standards are available for sale. We do not accept any printer ink cartridges that do not satisfy our quality standards.

2. Is Printer Ink Cartridge Quality Assured By All Online Stores?

It is true that all printer ink cartridges cannot be failure-free. Even major name-brand cartridges have 3-5% failure rate. That is why you need to consider quality assurance from your printer ink retailer.

Green Image Solutions always tries to meet or exceed name-brand manufacturer standards. However, if for any reason, you are not satisfied with the quality and performance of your Green Image Solutions inkjet or toner cartridges, we offer the industry's best 90-Day Money Back Guarantee.

3. Do All Online Stores Offer Full-Coverage and Hassle-Free Warranties?

When you have any problems with your cartridges and printer, it is a frustrating experience. It is not unusual for a company's customer support to tell you that the warranty period has expired or the problem was caused by your error. Many companies even ask you to pay for return shipping. It is important, as a customer, to choose a printer ink seller with a fair warranty policy.

Green Image Solutions understands that not every customer will use their inkjet or toner cartridges right away or that things can happen where a customer needs to purchase a new printer before they could use all their cartridges in stock. That's why Green Image Solutions offers free shipping when you return cartridges; you don't have to pay a penny for shipping. Return shipping is on us.

4. What Kind Of Customer Service Should I Look For When Buying Online?

Online stores, not only the printer ink market, are making it difficult to talk to and get help from customer service representatives. You should always consider how reliable and available a company's customer service is.
At Green Image Solutions you can find our customer service agent by phone or by e-mail. In each case, you will get a real person right away without going through a directory.

5. Do All Ink Retailers Provide Credible Technical Support?

Printers and cartridges can be very complicated and sometimes it's not easy to find out what to do when an error message pops up or when lights on the panel are blinking. If you have a problem and need technical support, you don't want to talk with someone whose main job is to answer the phone. They can offer information that can damage your printer. That is why you need to think about the credibility of a company's technical support.

At Green Image Solutions, all of our managers, sales reps, and support staff are knowledgeable in most OEM printers and can help you through almost any issue. Our customer service agents are not simply taking orders or transferring phone calls, they are prepared to solve your problems.

Tips for Finding a Great Deal on Toner

Taken from Majon International - http://www.majon.com/articles/Business_and_Entrepreneurs/Toner_591.html

Whether you have photo printers, laser printers, or inkjet printers, you know that toner cartridges are incredibly expensive. If you're in the market for an inkjet printer cartridge or a LaserJet toner cartridge, there are great deals to be had online. However, there are several things you should know before buying toner online.

Understand Your Options


When it comes to laser toner cartridges or inkjet printer cartridges, you have three options: Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) cartridges, compatible cartridges, and re-manufactured cartridges. What are the differences? Original Equipment Manufacturer cartridges are those that you find at office supply stores. They are packaged and sold with the printer manufacturer's name on them. Compatible cartridges don't have the branding from the printer manufacturers, but they meet or exceed the manufacturers' specifications for the ink or toner. Re-manufactured cartridges are, essentially, Original Equipment Manufacturer cartridges that have been used, refilled, and cleaned and quality checked.

Although the initial reaction of most people is to buy Original Equipment Manufacturer cartridges, you can save a tremendous amount of money - without sacrificing quality - when you buy compatible cartridges or re-manufactured cartridges.

Know What You Need

As with most types of devices these days, different models of printers have relatively unique cartridge designs. Unfortunately, the lack of standardization means that you have to know the make and model of your printer when you want to buy toner cartridges or ink cartridges. When ordering toner or ink cartridges online, it's important to have this information handy. You don't want to go through the hassle of ordering the wrong cartridge and having to return it for a replacement.

Order From a Reputable Source

With so many ecommerce sites on the Internet, it's sometimes difficult to ascertain which sources for toner and ink cartridges offer exceptional products and service. If you're planning to buy a compatible or re-manufactured inkjet printer cartridge or LaserJet toner cartridge, it's crucial that the company produces or sells high-quality products. An inferior product could, at best, produce poor quality prints, and at worst, damage your printer.

When you understand the differences between the types of toner and inkjet cartridges available, know what you need, and find a reputable company, you'll be all set to save money by ordering toner online.