Driving Sustainability Initiatives With Cloud-Native Print Solutions

Climate change is one of the fastest-growing threats to European businesses, with 24% of EU CEOs saying it will dramatically affect their business over the next five years.

As a result, 75% of European Union (EU) CEOs are implementing sustainability initiatives, and two in five EU CEOs say radical change is needed to keep their business viable over the next ten years.

The sentiment is more than lip service: In 2024, the EU had its lowest carbon profile yet, with 75% of electricity generated by CO2 emissions-free sources like wind and solar.

Still, many businesses have a long way to go to meet regulations outlined in the European Green Deal. Only a small percentage of companies have completed implementation activities for 2025, with challenges like complex systems, poor visibility, and staffing capacity standing in the way.

Fortunately, there are simple ways for EU businesses to make great strides towards sustainability goals. An eco-friendly print environment is one of the best ways to get started, helping companies drastically reduce their carbon footprint with less infrastructure and waste.

In this article, we’ll outline the harmful impact of outdated office practices on the environment. Then, we’ll highlight the many benefits of cloud-native print solutions and explain how PrinterLogic can help you pave a swift path to a more sustainable business in the future.

New technologies like AI and cloud computing have quickly rendered print servers obsolete. But these clunky, outdated systems aren’t just expensive and inefficient—they’re also detrimental to the environment.

Print server production requires an enormous amount of energy each year, and running and maintaining these systems requires even more energy resources. For example, an on-premise server using non-green electricity uses 975 kg CO2e / year per server, while a cloud server using 100% green electricity uses just 160 kg CO2e / year per server.

The easy move to cloud-based printers allows businesses to play a key role in the sustainability movement. By eliminating energy-sucking and outdated technology, they can lower energy consumption, reduce waste, and promote environmentally friendly digital alternatives to paper.

Let’s a closer look at the top sustainability benefits:

1. Lower Energy Consumption

As we mentioned before, print servers have a large carbon footprint. Switching to a cloud solution instantly reduces that carbon footprint while also allowing businesses to consolidate printers and streamline all print activities.

With PrinterLogic, companies can analyze printer usage data to optimize the number and placement of printers throughout the organization. Since many print servers are highly inefficient, this strategy typically reduces the number of printers needed company-wide.

2. Reduce Paper Waste

Cloud print management solutions have reporting capabilities that help companies identify wasteful print practices across all network-connected printers. These reporting capabilities make it easy to enforce sustainable printing practices like default duplex printing, with which all printers are set to double-sided printing. Businesses can also create rules that limit color printing in favor of more eco-friendly practices.

Since the average employee wastes 1,400 pages of paper annually, these simple practices can make a dramatic difference in improving sustainability and encouraging mindful printer use.

3. Promote Digital Alternatives

Cloud solutions also encourage users to use digital documents and workflows rather than manual formats that require printed paper. For example, Vasion Automate leverages the power of AI to help users seamlessly create digital files for forms, contracts, and signature capture. This solution drives efficiency and enhances visibility, simultaneously reducing the amount of paper being printed and reprinted around the office.