Paper still has an important part to play in the business world, in spite of the fact that it is widely recognised as a finite medium. Rather than encouraging a polarisation of paper and non-paper companies, MPS firms like Toshiba are helping businesses to gradually improve their green credentials and work towards a sustainable model. European CEO spoke to Carl A Morris, Senior Vice President at Toshiba Tec, about the company’s methods and its philosophy for the future.

What have Toshiba’s key environmental achievements been?
Toshiba is a company with a 140-year history and caring for the world is a big part of our corporate philosophy. We have always aimed to develop products which meet the very highest environmental standards and we work closely with the EU in developing new environmental regulations.

Even if the paperless office is yet to come, Toshiba has definitely taken a big step towards
less paper

In 2009 we launched the Toshiba Carbon Zero Scheme, our carbon offset programme, which is now industry-leading. We not only offset manufacturing, transportation, maintenance and consumables during the lifetime of our printing systems, but also up to one million pages of paper. So far, we have offset more than 350,000 tonnes of CO2. This in turn allows us to support various important projects around the world, reduce carbon emissions, and work to improve the living conditions of many thousands of people by providing them with clean air and water.

On a product level, our Eco-MFP deserves to be mentioned. It is the world’s first multifunction laser printing system which uses erasable toner, allowing you to reuse regular office paper. We have seen cases where this has led to a reduction of paper usage of over 80 percent. If you think of the amount of printouts and copies each one of us throws away every day, you will easily understand how this is possible.

Over the past few years, the process of making paper has become more and more environmentally friendly and decades of innovation have resulted in natural resources being used to their fullest extent. Additionally, recycling paper has helped save resources. But with our Eco-MFP we have added a new level to the environmentally conscious use of paper by reusing it before recycling it. So, even if the paperless office is yet to come, Toshiba has definitely taken a big step towards less paper, without having to print less.

What environmental issues do Managed Print Services involve?
Managed Print Services or, as we at Toshiba call it, Managed Document Services (MDS), has been developed to manage and optimise document output devices. Traditionally, this would only focus on the type and number of devices to be installed and where best to place them within an office. This definitely covers the economical aspect of MDS.

But we believe there is more to it, and that MDS also has an ecological side. Each device consumes power and leaves a carbon footprint. Most systems are connected to other systems. These systems, too, consume power and have a carbon footprint. So, our three-stage method AIM (Analyse, Implement, Manage) looks at the big picture and includes various possibilities to reduce energy consumption and optimise the carbon footprint not only for printing, but for the entire company.

How do companies ensure they deliver on green promises?
Nowadays, all companies set themselves goals as to how they can reduce their environmental impact. Companies that ask us to not only optimise print, but also analyse the environmental aspect of their business are typically those that are already very active in this area. Only purchasing low-power devices or making features such as duplex printing standard are just a few of the possibilities related to printing, but companies also have other options. Some go as far as installing solar panels. However, the most important part is to raise awareness of eco-friendly behaviour, particularly among employees, and encourage active participation.

How does environmental compliance help companies to save money?
Some environmental regulations are laws. The majority, however, are voluntary and focus on saving resources. This automatically helps to reduce costs. A simple example is power consumption: if you use less, you pay less. Then there are also less obvious savings. If you use less paper, you save the storage space you need and the cost for the waste disposal.

It is difficult to say exactly how much can be saved. One should look at it in terms of the opportunities being green provides. Being environmentally conscious may be the differentiator that closes a deal. People would rather buy from an eco-friendly vendor. In the B2B market, customers can fulfil their own green promises by sourcing from an environmentally conscious company. Governments have high eco-standards and will not work with a company that does not comply with regulations.

How well do you think Toshiba is positioned in the market?
Toshiba is a well-established player in the print and document market. Being a global firm with offices around the world, we have the knowledge it takes to not only support other large global companies, but also cater to the needs of local businesses. In Europe, the requirements and expectations can significantly differ from country to country. Our local presence allows us to respond to these variations and offer tailor-made print solutions and support services.

How does the company ensure it stands out from competitors?
Our business is differentiated by unique factors, including our eco-strategy, our vertical solutions and our collaborative relationships with our customers. Our human-centric approach puts people and their needs first, and we aim to provide products and services which help create a higher quality of life for everyone.

With the introduction of our Eco-MFP we have also established ourselves as a unique supplier of eco-friendly solutions. Of course, our eco-strategy is not based on only one system; we have other products – barcode printers, software solutions and services – that have all been developed to support businesses which want to be economical and ecological. As part of the Toshiba Group, we have the expertise and know-how to support almost any kind of business and can act as a one-stop shop for our customers.

What products does Toshiba offer?
The Toshiba Group offers everything consumers and businesses need. The printing division focuses on products and solutions which revolve around creating, recording, sharing, managing and displaying information. You could categorise our products into four groups: printers and multifunction systems, barcode printers, software solutions, and services.

Whether working with hard copies or electronic files, our product portfolio helps organisations to enhance performance and, of course, at the same time improve their eco-efficiency.

What does the future hold and what are the key areas for development?
Toshiba is focusing on vertical markets and we want to continue doing so. Our aim is to deliver innovative products, which will enhance our customers’ efficiency and help them be as successful as possible. For this, we will continue to develop our core print product portfolio. This will then be the basis for a comprehensive solutions and services offering. We also believe that environmental awareness will increase in future. Our eco-strategy will, therefore, be further developed and we will make even more efforts to combine economy, efficiency and ecology.