Hewlett Packard has found an innovative way of turning used water bottles into ink-jet printer cartridges.

The firm has begun recycling plastic bottles as a way of getting it closer to its green objectives.

HP recycled more than 2,000 tonnes of plastic containers in 2007 as part of its Design for Environment program and plans to double that amount this year.

Pat Tiernan, vice president for social and environmental responsibility for HP, said: "More and more people are really thinking about the environment in ways they hadn’t before."

The announcement by HP comes as Envirowise, a government funded programme which offers environmental advice to businesses, said 120 billion pieces of paper are wasted every year by "accidental printing".

According to Envirowise, a typical office worker prints 22 pages a day, including unnecessary printing of emails and large documents which are unlikely to be read.

A new pocket-sized printer is set to be released onto the European market after proving successful in North America.

The Printstik, devised by PlanOn, measures only 48mm x 25mm x 280 mm and connects to laptops, PDAs or smart-phones using Bluetooth technology.

It is the smallest handheld to have a self contained paper solution and can print up to three pages a minute.

The connectivity in the Printstik is provided by firm Cambridge Consultants’ BlueStack software and Interface Express suite which enables application level communication with external devices.

Neale Dass, manufacturing director for PlanOn, said: "This flexibility and ease-of-integration, together with the package of full support provided by Cambridge Consultants has enabled us to quickly take Printstik from concept to production, creating the competitive lead we need in this fast-paced market."

Competitor printer manufacturer Canon recently unveiled its Pxma iP100 portable inkjet printer which it claims is small enough to fit in a work travel bag and describes as "the ultimate travel companion".



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Small businesses can benefit from the boom of digital printing over the next few years, according to an industry expert.

It has been claimed that digital printing has brought down the costs of colour printing and this can allow small firms to become more efficient and "offer superior quality".

Jane Geypen, product manager for Axiz, who distributes Hewlett Packard’s products, told Computing South Africa that the costs of purchasing a digital printer is likely to fall as the technology becomes more prevalent.

"Higher processing power and faster data transfer speeds have increased printing speed, while increased spooling memory in printers has helped to increase productivity levels," she added.

She concluded that companies need to utilise more technological products to address "more than their traditional customers".

Printer manufacturer Riso recently showcased its new environmentally friendly printers at Philadelphia’s Sustainability in Printing conference.



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A new study in Canada has found that a large amount of employees print out personal documents at work.

The survey, done by Angus Reid Strategies and commissioned by Samsung Electronics Canada, found that 60 per cent of people in the country print off personal materials during their time at work.

Documents such as driving directions, purchase confirmations and even CVs were found to be commonly printed by employees.

Ronald Hulse, vice president of sales and marketing for Samsung Electronics Canada, said the results are "unsurprising" considering the increased amount of time people spend at work.

"For employers of all sizes, absorbing such printing expenses can seriously affect a business’ bottom line," he added.

Accountingweb.co.uk recently offered tips to use an office printer more effectively.

The website stated that measures such as printing on both sides of the paper, fitting more onto a page and using refilled ink cartridges can save companies money and also reduce printing wastage.



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Polaroid’s new instant-photo printer has been described as "small enough to fit in a pocket".

Gadget blog Crave has tested the new PoGo mobile inkless printer and says that it may help Polaroid "climb back to the top of the photography world".

The PoGo is the company’s new attempt to replace its classic instant camera. It receives images via a Bluetooth connection from any camera phone or through a USB cable for digital cameras.

Inkless Zink technology then heats the photo paper up, which develops the colour embedded in crystals on the paper. The wallet-size pictures can also be turned into stickers.

Jon Pollock, general manager of new technology for Polaroid, told the website that the PoGo is "aimed at teens and young adults who want to get instant access to their shots".

The new products were announced after Polaroid revealed in February that it would stop making the film which was used in its iconic instant cameras.

The company claims there is still enough stock of the film to last until 2009, reports the BBC.



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A leading printer ink remanufacturing firm has told consumers to look at original equipment manufacturer (OEM) costs when searching for a new printer.

Click2ink claims to receive daily requests from consumers enquiring about the best printers on the market. It recommends a system for customers to calculate the most cost efficient printer in terms of ink usage.

Some manufacturers describe its printers in terms of being high or low yield, or may not have information relating to ink usage on its products at all.

However, Click2ink says using OEM costs is a key way of determining the ink efficiency of a printer.

"If the price per page is low when buying OEM cartridges it will only get better buying remanufactured printer ink. Most cartridges can be refilled at a fraction of the cost of the OEM product," the website explains.

Xerox recently launched a new printing technology that it claims can print on "nearly any surface".

The cured gel ink system is currently being showcased at the Drupa 2008 printing convention.



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ActionAid Recycling, an organisation which recycles ink cartridges and raises money for charity, has changed its name to Greensource Solutions.

Recycle.co.uk reports that the organisation’s online shop has been named Greensource for a while, but the new name is intended to "better reflect" its business.

The organisation has worked to reduce waste and poverty since 1993, when it was set up by the charity ActionAid.

Since it was established, it has gone on to recycle millions f printer cartridges and mobile phones – reducing the number sent to landfill sites.

During this time, the organisation has managed to raise £250,000 for charity.

"From the early days of recycling printer cartridges from a few local businesses, we have increased the range of services that we offer and grown hugely in terms of the quantity of items we recycle each year," Greensource states.

Greensource aims to promote "best practice" in recycling and sustainability, while also providing support to charities.



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Xerox has unveiled a new ink technology that can print "on nearly any surface".

It has showcased its cured gel ink technology at the Drupa 2008 exhibition. Xerox claims that the new machinery can allow digital printers to get a foothold in the offset printing market, which it estimates at $400 billion (£203 billion).

The new ink is not water based. It is a thick substance which is squeezed through print heads then exposed to ultraviolet light, which makes it turn rock hard.

Steve Hoover, director of the Xerox Research Centre, said this cured gel ink can open new doors for digital printers, including jobs which were previously reserved for offset printers.

"Cured gel ink systems combine the best of both, the speed, low-cost and ability to print on varied materials like offset, and the personalisation of digital," he added.

Xerox is also showcasing a range of digital presses at Drupa 2008.

The company claims its new Concept Colour 220 printer can print up to 220 pages per minute


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Epson has announced a new printer aimed at photographers wanting professional art prints.

The Epson Stylus Photo R2880 is the perfect choice for consumers who want the highest quality and sellable photographic and fine art prints, according to the company.

Features on the new printer include Epson’s UltraChrome K3 printhead and Radiance technology, which allow for smooth colour transitions and intricate detail.

Patrick Chen, product manager for Epson, said that the printer will allow photographers to generate "exhibition quality prints".

"After three years of uncompromising development, the 13-inch wide Epson Stylus Photo R2880 will redefine the standards for creative control and print quality photographers expect from Epson," added Mr Chen.

Epson recently formed new partnership to distribute its DiscProducer PP-100 in the UK.

The device can burn and print up to 100 customised CDs or DVDs using a robotic arm to pick up the CD and inkjet technology to ensure sharp printed labels.



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IBM has introduced a new range of strategies to help organisations improve their energy efficiency.

The new proposals were outlined at its Pulse 2008 conference.

IBM launched Project Big Green in 2007, committed to deliver $1 billion per year to technology which helps businesses increase the level of energy efficiency in their organisations.

The new expansion to the Project Big Green, Software for a Greener World, was announced. This offers new environmental benefits through Tivoli software products, WebSphere Virtual Enterprises and Lotus Technologies.

Al Zollar, general manager of Tivoli software for IBM, said that mounting energy and environmental costs from technology systems are taking their toll.

"While most people think of energy conservation from a hardware perspective, increasingly it is actually software that is providing more options to go green across the entire organization," he explained.

The new Tivoli Monitoring software consolidates energy management information, which offers customers the opportunity to see potential energy-related problems and take preventative action.



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