Did you know, switching fonts from Arial to Century Gothic can save 30% of ink when printing.
Fonts such as Century Gothic, Times New Roman, Garamond and Courier are more sustainable to print with as being thin in appearance results in less ink being used.
If possible, using a smaller font (bearing in mind accessibility guidelines) is a good way to save ink too. Printer inks are often oil-based for their water repellent and permanent properties, however, the process of creating an oil-based ink can generate a large amount of greenhouse gases, releasing harmful chemicals into the environment, so reducing use where possible can support our journey to Net Zero Carbon.
Do you want to go a step further?
Changes at work can often have more impact than changes we can make in our personal lives. When it comes to printers, there are a few more ways you can make it more sustainable…
Using unbleached recycled paper uses 70% less water and energy to create than brand new paper from trees. By recycling paper, it can increase its life span for up to seven cycles and for every tonne of paper recycled, 7000 gallons of water can be conserved!
97% of materials used to create ink cartridges can be reused and recycled, however only an estimated 30% is recycled globally. You can take your used cartridges to your local recycling centre, or you can contact your district council if you need assistance or have any queries.
If you can, try reducing the use of the printer by laminating resources (that will get a lot of use) so they last longer, limit the amount you need to print and always go double sided when possible and only print when essential.
Together to Zero
Every Trust has a Green Plan which sets out our goals to reaching Net Zero Carbon by 2040. Following the Care Without Carbon framework, we aim to actively reduce waste, reuse where possible and to continue to switch to greener alternatives within our Trusts. The NHS is committed to reducing its carbon footprint – all Trusts in Sussex are signed up to cutting Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2040.