thebiginterview


and environmental performance. We’ve taken the RBA Code of Conduct and embedded it directly into our own supplier code. When we onboard major suppliers, they must sign and comply with it. We also run supplier training, usually twice a year, to walk through


the requirements, explain expectations, and update partners on what’s happening within Epson. It’s about alignment. If we’re serious about sustainability, our suppliers need to be on the same journey.


What about the beginning and end of the product lifecycle?How is Epson addressing logistics and end-of-life management? Logistics is a huge part of any company’s Scope 3 emissions. For us, one of the most significant changes was switching from air freight to sea freight for distribution from Asia to Europe. It takes longer, but with the proper planning, we can meet delivery schedules, and the emissions savings are significant. We’ve also looked at pallet optimisation. It sounds small, but increasing


pallet height by just one box can reduce the number of containers needed over time. Sustainability is oſten about these incremental wins, small changes that add up across thousands of shipments. We’re also trialling biofuels with a major shipping partner. Te


aim is to understand the impact and, if successful, scale it across our logistics network. On the end-of-life side, we’re expanding our circular economy


initiatives. One example is our refurbishment programme for EcoTank printers. Devices that come back to us are assessed, repaired, and resold on eBay at a reduced price. Tey still have plenty of life leſt, and it keeps products in use longer. Cartridges are another area. We’ve long offered free cartridge


recycling across Europe, but we’re now piloting cartridge refilling for our ReadyPrint subscription service. Returned cartridges are inspected, refilled, and sent back out. It reduces waste and avoids manufacturing new cartridges unnecessarily.


Inkjet vs toner is a long-running debate. From a sustainability perspective, what’s the difference? From an energy efficiency standpoint, inkjet has a clear advantage. Laser printers use a heating element to fuse toner to the page; one of my colleagues calls them ‘ovens’ because the paper comes out warm. Tat process consumes a lot of energy. Inkjet works differently. It uses a piezoelectric crystal that oscillates


when electricity passes through it, ejecting ink onto the page. Te energy required is much lower. To help customers quantify the difference, we offer Optimisation


Reports. Tese analyse a customer’s existing print fleet and model what they could save, cost, energy, and carbon, by switching to Epson inkjet. Sometimes customers discover they don’t even need as many devices as they currently have. People will always have preferences, but when you show them the data, the sustainability and cost benefits become very clear.


Are customers still prioritising cost over sustainability, or is the balance shiſting? Te balance is definitely shiſting. Cost will always matter, but sustainability is no longer an aſterthought. We’re seeing sustainability managers join procurement conversations that used to involve only finance or IT.


www.pcr-online.biz Tender documents tell the story. A few years ago, sustainability


might have accounted for 5% of the scoring. We recently saw one where it accounted for 15%. Tat’s a huge jump. Customers with their own sustainability targets are now demanding


more from suppliers. Tey want to know the carbon footprint of a device, its energy efficiency, and its recyclability. Tat’s pushing resellers to strengthen their sustainability knowledge, because it’s becoming a differentiator in competitive bids. And importantly, sustainable tech oſten delivers a better total cost of


ownership. So even if the upfront cost is higher, the long-term savings, energy, consumables, and maintenance can tip the scales.


How does Epson support partners in having these sustainability conversations? Training is a big part of it. I run sustainability sessions for our resellers so they understand the terminology, the legislation, and the value propositions. We also join partner meetings to support customer conversations directly. Tools are essential too. We provide: • Optimisation Reports for print fleets • Carbon calculators for label printers • Energy-saving calculators for projectors • Sustainability reports that partners can use to strengthen their bids. We always tell partners: piggyback on the work Epson has already done. If you don’t have a dedicated sustainability manager, use our data, our certifications, and our reporting to support your proposals. It gives customers confidence that the claims are credible and independently verified.


What sustainability trends or technologies do you think will be most important over the next few years? Circularity is going to be huge. It feels like a distant goal, because nothing lasts forever, materials degrade, components wear out, but the principle of keeping products in use for as long as possible is gaining real momentum. Government policy is moving in that direction, too. Eco design


requirements will push manufacturers to build sustainability into products from the start, not bolt it on at the end. Tat will reshape how products are designed, manufactured, and recycled. We’re also exploring upstream circularity. Epson has invested in a


metal powder recycling startup called Atmix, which takes metals from Epson Group operations and recycles them into materials used in automotive parts and other applications. It’s a fascinating example of circularity at the resource level, not just the product level.


Finally, what advice would you give to companies just beginning their sustainability journey? Start by identifying your priorities. Sustainability is vast, with environmental, social, ethical and economic elements, and you can’t tackle everything at once. A materiality assessment is a great starting point. List the topics that


fall under sustainability, speak to your stakeholders, and ask them to rank what matters most. Tat will show you where to focus your efforts and resources for maximum impact. Everything is material in some way, but you need to know where to start. Once you’ve tackled the biggest priorities, you can move down the list.


January/February 2026 | 13


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