The company has just announced that it will stop selling and distributing laser printers around the world, by 2026, attributing this decision to the great potential of inkjet technology to contribute to sustainability with relevant advances. This is due to the way both technologies work: while laser printing requires heat to melt the toner, inkjet is a cool technology that requires less energy to operate.
This news comes just over a year after Epson announced a 100 billion yen investment in sustainable innovation and coincides with the launch of a new range of printers for companies with inkjet technology ink without heat
Rob Clark, Vice President of Epson EMEA, commented: “The decision to exit the laser market was inevitable. As a company, we are committed to sustainable innovation and taking action on sustainability, something that laser printing does not align with. These printers consume more energy than inkjet printers and use more replaceable parts and elements.”
“Our printing business will be 100% focused on No Heat inkjet, with piezoelectric technology, driving our own technology to offer efficient and sustainable printing solutions to our partners and customers”.
The inkjet market for growing companies, to the detriment of lasers
According to IDC data, it is expected +5.1% annual growth for the inkjet market for companies (business inkjet) in Western Europe, something that contrasts with a year-on-year decrease of -0.4% in the demand for laser printing, with similar growth in business inkjet in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The IDC study also suggests that 88% of hardware purchasing decisions already take into account the energy consumption of the devices and the generation of waste (87%) begins to be “extremely” or “very” important when choosing new printers.
Roger Bernedo, Head of Sales Office Print at Epson Ibérica, is clear: “Every product we offer in our portfolio of business inkjet printers gives companies the technology they need to achieve their own sustainability goals. We pride ourselves on being able to provide our partners and customers with the sustainable technology they need and that really makes a difference in terms of reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Companies that switch to heatless inkjet technology will be contributing to a more sustainable society.”
