Epson phases out laser printers over sustainability concerns

Epson has announced that it will completely halt the sale and distribution of laser printers by 2026 due to environmental concerns.

The manufacturer has previously said that switching from laser to inkjet printers could halve printing-based global energy emmissions. It added that the transition could deliver global electricity savings in excess of 2,240 GWh per year, equivalent to approximately 1. 3 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, which is the amount that is produced by 280,175 cars driven for one year.

Despite its outright exit from the global laser market, the company will continue to provide consumers with laser consumables and components, according to The Register. Asia and Europe were the only remaining regions Epson still sold lasers after previously stopping sales everywhere else.

For the uninitiated, laser and inkjet are the two main types of printers available for home and office use. The former tend to be used more by businesses due to their ability to quickly spit out high volumes, with bigger paper trays and a lower cost per page. But this larger output also means that they typically heat up quicker as they consume more power.

Inkjets are comparably smaller in size and use less components, making them more suitable for home use. Owners just need to swap out the ink and waste ink box versus the toner, drum, developer, and fusers for laser models. As a result, Epson says, its inkjet printers consume up to 85 per cent less energy than a similar-speed laser printer and require 59 per cent less replacement parts.

It remains to be seen whether the announcement will be the death knell for laser printers. Rival manufacturer Brother currently does not have any plans to pull out of the laser market. HP also has more than 20 laser printers currently listed on its online store. It also recently released a new LaserJet Tank machine that includes a refillable toner system.