PRINTITRESELLER.UK 45 VOX POP easier with a running partner. Ben Mills: At Konica Minolta it is important we share our ambitious sustainability targets with our partners, which is why we made a public commitment to net-zero in Scope 1, 2 and 3 by 2050, and to also manufacture our products from more than 90% circulated resources by 2050. We are also transparent in accompanying every Konica Minolta product with a detailed environmental datasheet and Eco Leaf environmental label. It is a philosophy shared by our partners, such as Agilico, with whom we have collaborated to create the National Refurbishment Centre in Leicester, which is breathing new life into ex-showroom and low utilisation machines. We are also providing our partners with tools that help their customers gain insight into how their devices are being utilised and where improvements can be made to minimise material wastage, reduce energy consumption and lower costs. And, when consumables are discarded Konica Minolta will collect and recycle them as part of our World on Loan program. Richard Wells: Quite simply, Epson is offering smaller, more energyefficient solutions, descriptive features of our latest WorkForce Enterprise AM-C series. This aligns with Epson’s manufacturing philosophy of Sho Sho Sei, which translates from Japanese as ‘compact, efficient, and precise’, which is increasingly prominent within Epson’s technology portfolios. Smaller size isn’t just a key factor in reducing emissions, but also complements the new balanced deployment of printing as organisations seek to optimise print size and functionality in their continually developing hybrid workspaces. Stuart Miller: Being sustainable is now an expectation and a key driver of customer behaviour and loyalty. It is therefore important for channel partners to be able to advise their customers on the more sustainable printing options available to them when choosing the right product or service to meet their needs. As a responsible manufacturer, we at Canon collaborate closely with our partners to provide them with cutting-edge technology and offer top-quality in-house services to strengthen their sustainability proposition. With our partners at the heart of our business, our goal is to ensure they are always prepared to meet their customers’ requirements. Will Armington: By partnering with Xerox, partners offering our devices, supplies, and programs have immediate access to the benefits included in those offerings, such as Ecolabels, circular economy benefits, and Xerox sustainability support. Xerox provides information and training sessions to its channel partners to inform them about the sustainability benefits of products, offerings, and corporate sustainability information. Andrew Ellis: Through our Eco Direct range, we’re encouraging the dealer channel to work towards their own sustainability goals by promoting a range of machines that are a happy medium between a brand new model and a second-hand machine. They look brand new, all the parts have been cleaned, batch tested and quality controlled, yet they have been completely upcycled. What’s more they’re cost-effective and still have a long life ahead of them. The toners used in the range are fully certified by ETIRA and, between us and the dealers we are all contributing to the circular economy. www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.uk www.konicaminolta.co.uk www.epson.co.uk www.canon.co.uk www.xerox.co.uk www.pcl-direct.com are upcycled from machines, from manufacturers such as Konica Minolta, that are, typically, no more than three years old and, preferably, with print volumes under 300,000 prints. The range has been positively accepted as it has opened up more opportunities for dealers and to their customers. To date, we’ve refurbished just over 500 machines and, this year, we’re aiming to broaden the range with remanufactured Ricoh and Canon devices and investigating Kyocera and UTAX models to offer a wider range to the channel through Eco Direct. In the last financial year, PCL Direct sold over 100,000 toners and 60,000 drums with a failure rate below 1%. We also offer a 12-month warranty for the channel through our online warranty portal which the dealers have access to through a log-in system. Steve Pearce: Firstly, offering our carbon neutral offering on every device in our range, from the home user right through to our flagship production print inkjet devices. Interestingly this green approach has been embraced by some and ignored by others. Those who have embraced our greener stance have experienced great success as meeting customer demands is now key to acquiring and retaining customers. We have also actively worked with partners to take them on their own green journey, teaming up with Carbon Neutral Britain to audit their current carbon burden and give reduction strategies. We now have in the UK partners selling our energy-efficient carbon neutral devices supplied by our carbon neutral operation to their endusers by their carbon neutral operation. So, 2023 really did see a quantum shift forward for us as we want to work with our partners to help them along and advise them. Your green marathon will no doubt be tough, but it is always PrintIT Reseller: It’s been well-documented that customer demand for more sustainable products and services is on the increase. How are you supporting channel partners to deliver sustainability-led solutions? Ian McIntyre Smaller size isn’t just a key factor in reducing emissions, but also complements the new balanced deployment of printing as organisations seek to optimise print size and functionality in their continually developing hybrid workspaces
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