Epson plans to cease production of laser printers completely by 2026. The company cites sustainability concerns.
The printer giant claims that laser technology has a “limited ability” to make significant steps towards improved sustainability “due to its requirement for heat during the print process and therefore increased energy use”.
The company plans to pivot its printers entirely towards inkjet technology, claiming this “can reduce energy consumption compared to laser” and that the “compact footprint and a lightweight design” of these inkjet printers can help “limit resources used during production and shipping”.
What makes Inkjet unique?
In a blog article (opens in a new tab Epson claims its inkjet printers use less energy than comparable laser printers, and emit less carbon dioxide, citing its own data.
Laser printers print onto paper using a dry ink (also known as toner) and an inkjet printer that uses a nozzle assembly and wet ink.
Inkjet printers generally have a smaller footprint than laser printers but a higher price per page.
This news comes a year after Epson announced a ¥100 billion investment into sustainable innovation. Epson’s recent public commitment to sustainability has drawn some harsh criticism for its environmental practices over the years, despite this announcement.
Epson confirmed July 2022 (opens new tab) Some of the printers made by HP are designed to quit working after a specified time. This forces customers to replace the hardware or to pay to have it survived by an authorized repairman.
The timecoded limit was reported to impact Epson’s L360 L130, L220, L310, and L365 model printers.
Jonathan Zittrain, Harvard professor of journalism, said that he commented on the Fight to Repair blog news:
“A printer self-bricking after a while is a great example of ‘you think you bought a product, but you really rented a service.”