Comment
Greener printing starts with what you already have
By Andrew Woolams, print lead at OFS Systems S
ustainability in print often gets framed as a technology story. New presses. New materials. New automation. All promising cleaner, faster, leaner production. There is value in innovation, of course, but many of the biggest gains are hiding in plain sight. They live in the equipment printers already own, in the way lines run day to day, and in the choices operators make while managing each job. The industry talks a lot about circularity and responsible consumption, yet some of the simplest ways to cut carbon start with understanding how a line performs in real time. Not as a spreadsheet retrospective, but as a live view that shows what is actually happening on the shop fl oor. In many plants the gap between planned and real output can be surprisingly wide. Downtime creeps in unnoticed. Short runs create ineffi ciency. Energy keeps fl owing even when lines are not running at their best. Small issues accumulate and become part of the routine. When they do, waste becomes normal rather than exceptional.
That is why visibility matters. Real-time data does not make operations perfect, but it gives teams a clear picture of where energy, time and materials are being lost. Once that picture exists, people can act on it. A single hour of unplanned downtime might not feel dramatic, yet across a year it has a signifi cant environmental and fi nancial cost. The same is true for slow changeovers, rejects from rushed setups, or unnecessary stops that stem from unclear processes. When operators can see those patterns in the moment, they are far more able to prevent them.
Sustainability also depends on behaviour, not just equipment. Printing is fast paced and often reactive. Deadlines shift, clients change their minds and teams adapt quickly. In this environment people need information they can trust. They also need workfl ows that make it easy to do the right thing rather than the quick thing. Many sustainability conversations focus on machinery upgrades because they feel tangible. New kit looks like progress. But the biggest gains frequently come from training, communication and giving teams the insight to make better daily decisions.
A plant can spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on new machinery yet still lose hours every week to small ineffi ciencies. By contrast, incremental improvements in changeover times, set up consistency, or waste reduction can deliver meaningful carbon savings without any major investment. When operators understand how their actions infl uence performance, sustainability becomes a shared responsibility rather than a distant target.
This is where data helps, particularly when it is presented in simple, accessible ways. Live dashboards on the line allow operators to see performance as it unfolds. They show whether a run is on track, where time is slipping away, and which issues are repeated rather than isolated. They also change the culture. Teams start to notice the details that were previously invisible. A shift that spots a recurring micro-stop can
fi x the root cause before it becomes a bigger problem. A team that sees waste spike during certain jobs can investigate why. Over time this builds a habit of continuous improvement. It also builds pride. When people can see the impact of their work, they engage more deeply with sustainability goals. They understand the link between effi ciency and environmental benefi t. Energy use becomes something they can infl uence. Waste reduction becomes a point of achievement, not just a compliance requirement. This creates momentum that no policy document can replicate. There will always be a place for new technology, but greener printing often starts with getting more from what is already on the floor. That is the heart of this mindset shift. It is not a rejection of innovation, but a recognition that sustainable progress comes from both people and equipment working smarter together.
Greener printing does not need to wait for the next generation of machines. It can begin with a clearer view of today’s production, more confi dent decisions on the shop fl oor, and a commitment to making the best possible use of the resources already in place. Sustainability grows from the ground up, and often the most impactful changes start with the smallest adjustments.
www.convertermag.com
February 2026
29
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