As many businesses around the world are investing in transformation towards a greener and more sustainable future, some companies aren’t only changing their practises and improving their organisation, but rather also advancing their customers and the entire industry towards sustainability. Epson, as a company with innovation at its core, aims to deliver the very best in sustainable technologies for its customers. And, judging by its latest 2021 European Sustainability Report, it’s working
Epson’s heat-free printing technology is shaping up to be technology of a more sustainable future for many businesses and individuals, requiring much less energy and producing less waste than any other comparable printing technology. The reason it uses much less energy is that it doesn’t use heat to warm up the printer when it’s switched on from standby. It also requires fewer consumables, up to 96% fewer compared to other technologies like laser printing. The heat-free structure of Epson inkjet printers also means that there are fewer parts that can fail, which reduces the amount of intervention required.
Altogether, Epson’s inkjet printers can cut power consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 83%. The Europe-wide adoption of these technologies would cut a billion kWh of energy use per year and 410,000 tons of CO2 emissions.
Epson’s EcoTank printers bring similar benefits across the value chain, eliminating the need for ink cartridges. To date, EcoTank printers have removed 1.6 million tons of plastic-based consumable waste from the environment. Further gains can be seen in Epson’s development of new textile printing technologies, which can slash water use by up to 90% and energy use by 30%. Epson’s heat-free technologies have inspired a partnership with National Geographic and its work to reverse the melting of permafrost and accompanying increase in methane emissions.
Looking back at 2021, Epson achieved its second consecutive Platinum Status rating with EcoVadis, one of the world’s most trusted business sustainability rating platforms. This rating recognises the company’s global corporate social responsibility initiatives. The company was also awarded Platinum Status with the Responsible Business Alliance, the world’s largest industry coalition dedicated to CSR in global supply chains.
Looking to the future, Epson plans to spend ¥100 billion (around €770 million) on its sustainability transformation over the next decade. Internally, this will see investment to decarbonise and close resource loops (maximising resource use). Externally, Epson innovation will reduce the environmental impact of customers and develop new products that are inherently sustainable.
The company’s commitment can also be seen in its recent promises, such as pledging to align with the 1.5-degree warming target and achieve 100% renewable energy use across all Epson Group operations by 2023, targeting reductions in direct (19%) and indirect (44%) emissions by 2025, meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and finally becoming carbon negative and underground resource free by 2050. And all of that while helping its customers reduce their carbon footprint and generate less waste by using heat-free technologies and delivering on the promise of a sustainable society.