Ricoh ‘Green Printers’ To Swamp Ireland

Print News: Ricoh ‘Green Printers’ To Swamp Ireland


In 2010 the Irish Government’s Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government will dedicate €40 million of a €2.3 billion budget to refitting its offices with environmentally friendly equipment, according to a press release at Environ.ie. A good deal of this €40 million is set to flow into the coffers of printing brand Ricoh, owing to a contract the Government Dept. recently signed to receive ‘green printers’ from the Japanese company.

The Ricoh ‘green machines’, taken from the Eco-Line, are manufactured with recycled components and, over their lifetime, produce 40% fewer carbon emissions than ordinary printers. They will be distributed in offices of the government dept. throughout Dublin and the rest of Ireland.

According to an article by John Kennedy posted at SiliconRepublic.com on 15th December, the contract was prompted by the Department’s decision to revamp its entire printing strategy, to coincide with the relocation of its offices to a ‘Greenfield’ site in Wexford.

This decision is not isolated; the Department of Environment is making conscious strides to set the standard for environmental change in Irish government. The Department’s €2.3 billion budget is the second largest of all Departments to this end, while the €40 million set aside for environmentally friendly equipment more than doubles the amount devoted for purchases in 2008.

A spokesperson for the Irish Department of Environment told SiliconRepublic.com: “Ricoh's green technology and managed print services will not only have a positive effect on the environment but will also help us to reduce print costs across the department.”

By using Ricoh’s multi-function printers, which replace the existing stand-alone printers, copiers and scanners, the dept. stands to make substantial savings on its print processes, in addition to reducing the printing carbon footprint by 40%. To make further gains, Ricoh consultants will help the dept. introduce ‘green’ printing practices, including duplex printing as standard, default mono printing, and power saving.

The Managed Services Print Manager at Ricoh Ireland, Aine O’Shea, praised the government dept. for the contract. "The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has been a trailblazer in promoting cleaner and greener business practices,” she said.