We are printing less and less

Once again, our consumption of physical printing and copying decreased, despite a stable level of activity and even a slight increase in the number of employees. Expressed in round figures, as provided by our supplier Canon, our printing and copying machines produced 3.5 million prints in 2022, compared to 5 million prints in 2021. A decrease of more than 30%. IT Manager Niels-Jørgen Will-Nielsen calls the development surprising and positive. He is unable to identify a specific cause. Several factors are likely to contribute to the significant decrease.

“As many of us worked from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, we got used to not having a printer and got better at reading on a screen. Many have probably continued this behaviour. In addition, the screen size of most workstations has expanded significantly in recent years, making the reading experience more comfortable. Finally, we’ve closed several print rooms in the past year, which has probably contributed to changes in printing behaviour.”

The drop in printing in recent years has also been supported by an increasing digitalisation of document management.

New IT equipment reduces electricity consumption

In the autumn, all printing and copying machines in the Copenhagen office were replaced. This measure was planned but was brought forward due to rising electricity prices. The new printing and copying machines use 85% less electricity than the old ones. The old machines have been handed over to Canon as part of the upgrade where they become part of Canon’s recycling programme.

At Gorrissen Federspiel, we continuously upgrade our IT equipment. When mobile phones, computers and screens are replaced by newly purchased equipment, the old equipment is recycled by a cooperation partner. Last year, all our laptops were replaced by newer and faster models. However, the transfer of the decommissioned equipment will not take place until 2023, which is why there are no figures on the recycling benefits for 2022.

Niels-Jørgen Will-Nielsen is looking forward to several new investments in 2023 that will further contribute to lowering the firm’s electricity consumption. This includes a transition to new servers.

“With the new data centre, we’ll be able to shut down parts of the servers completely when the load is minimal, for example at night. This will have a positive impact on electricity consumption,” says Gorrissen Federspiel’s IT Manager.

“As many of us worked from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, we got used to not having a printer and got better at reading on a screen. Many have probably continued this behaviour.”