While consumers are
interested in being more environmentally friendly with their home and office equipment, they are still confused about what changes they can make to reduce their own carbon footprints.
According to a survey of more than 10,000 consumers around the world on behalf of Lexmark, 64% of consumers incorrectly cited the disposal of ink cartridges as the largest cause of pollution
from printing. (It's actually wasted paper.)
"The best piece of paper from an environmental standpoint is the one that's not printed," John Gagel, manager of sustainability practices,
environmental health and safety for Lexmark, tells Marketing Daily. "Part of the process is educating the consumer on how you go about printing in a sustainable matter. It's a process of
education. You have to hammer away with your messaging."
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Three-quarters of consumers feel guilty about printing unnecessary pages, and 85% of them would choose the most environmentally conscious
printing option if they were give a simple "one-touch" or "one-click" solution to help them find it. "Our focus is to try to create a device that allows [consumers] to print in a sustainable
manner," Gagel says.
In the 21 countries covered in the survey, women were generally more concerned about the environment than men. Seventy-one percent of women said they felt guilty disposing
of an electronic device rather than repairing it, compared with 63% of men.
Still, there is a large education gap when it comes to people's printing habits. Only 39% of survey respondents said
manufacturers do enough when it comes to recycling equipment. The advantage, however, is clear, with 84% of consumers saying they are more likely to buy products from a manufacturer with a proven
concern for recycling. Women also said they were more likely to buy from a technology manufacturer that recycles.
"The best way to get that information is on your Web site," Gagel says. If you
have that information there, people will find it. And it has to be easily used."