December 10, 2004—Most UK businesses make decisions about office equipment on a range of issues that does not include environmental impact, despite the availability of a clear rating system.
Nearly two-thirds of over 600 UK businesses surveyed for supplier Ricoh admitted that they did not currently have equipment carrying the ‘Energy Star’ logo, the symbol that demonstrates high levels of energy efficiency for office equipment. Another 24% were unsure as to whether or not their equipment was Energy Star qualified.
This was despite the fact that 85% of respondents said that their selection of office equipment would be influenced if devices were proven to have minimal impact on the environment.
“Although businesses are claiming to be environmentally friendly, only a small number are actively implementing green procurement practices,” commented Ricoh’s environmental manager Tom Wagland. “The results of our survey indicate that the criteria behind organizations’ purchasing decisions seems to be to blame for this.”
When asked what was the most important consideration when choosing devices, the majority of businesses (57%) indicated that running costs were the priority, followed by the device’s functionality (21%) and the unit price (11%). Only 2% of companies said that environmental friendliness was a deciding factor when purchasing office equipment.
While 90% of the businesses surveyed perceived environmental friendliness to be the overriding benefit of purchasing an Energy Star branded machine, almost 40% also saw a potential cost saving, suggesting that the message is starting to filter through to organizations.
—Fiona Perrin
Reprinted with permission; copyright 2004 i-FM
