Is the Green Missing in HP Subscriptions?

Is HP Inc. such a force in the print equipment, supplies, and services industry that very few will even ask HP elementary questions to help one understand the realities behind their end-user marketing messages and the messaging to shareholders?

Some would say I am pretty critical of HP Inc., and I would reply that they may be right—some of the time. However, it’s not my vengeful ambition to continuously bring awareness to what the industry’s analysts refuse to discuss.

Why does HP continue getting a free pass eliminating much-needed conversations regarding many of their claims?

In this article, I want to discuss the massive marketing campaigns we see regarding HP Inc and its sustainability efforts to help the world’s environment.

I think it is evident that all manufacturers are moving to a green approach throughout their manufacturing processes. Manufacturing with a green first approach is standard practice throughout the world.

However, I believe that it’s equally important to ensure that being “green” continues through the entire life cycle of your products and your business processes. One must question how HP Inc. is genuinely focused on the environment while also building a global subscription toner and ink business model.

Currently, HP Inc tells its shareholders they have sold 10 million subscriptions, subscriptions which include HP supplies. Of, course they still don’t emphasise how many subscriptions sold remain active.

I don’t think anyone reading this article believes that HP Inc aims to sign up millions of subscription-based billings where ink and toner are included in the subscription price. Then allow those subscribers to use remanufactured toner and ink in those printers on subscription.

So, as HP Inc continues to promote its green initiatives, should we not ask, “how replacing a product where the overwhelming majority of that product is perfectly fine should be thrown in a landfill or shredded to prevent that cartridge from being remanufactured?”

Recently HP Inc announced it endorses remanufactured cartridges. Although it seems that was only an endorsement of the cartridges they would remanufacture. In one of my “The End Of The Day With Ray!” episodes I discussed that – here’s a link to that episode.

HP Inc has for decades fought the remanufacturing industry like a shark attacking a bleeding limb.

So, it is questionable that now they endorse remanufacturing. This proclamation should be disclosed entirely as to exactly what the intentions are of HP Inc. regarding an endorsement of remanufactured cartridges.

The other counterpoint to being a green first company is the continuous manufacturing of new printer models to keep the remanufactures from taking their market share of the supply business. Let me explain:

Years ago, HP only had a few models, and these printers would last decades. Today, it is still easy to find HP printers well over ten years old widely in the marketplace.

However, as printers age, the availability of used cartridges becomes plentiful, and that fact is not suitable for HP’s business model of selling their end-users only OEM supplies.

When HP brings to market a replacement to a perfect current model, they also change the cartridges and apply a ridiculous number of patients in efforts to stall the remanufacturing community from delivering these end-users environmentally friendly remanufactured alternatives.

Let’s discuss firmware updates!

Another counterintuitive to protecting our environment is the number of updates HP Inc. pushes out through firmware, where the update locks out end-users who genuinely care for the environment from using remanufactured cartridges or ink supplies.

Times of environmental concerns and the awareness of people with great intentions in protecting the environment should not be hijacked by the rhetoric of global organizations, which have for decades built a business model to fight against all attempts of a sustainable reuse model.

In closing: A few questions for HP Inc.

I ask HP Inc. to disclose:

1. the impact to the global environment of wasted manufacturing to replace models prematurely for the sole purpose of limiting aftermarket supplies. Or manufacturing products knowing they are basically irreparable and disposable;
2. the impact to the global environment of the current count of 10 million subscriptions only using OEM supplies;
3. how a reseller agreement called Amplify which offers resellers discounts on HP OEM supplies is good for the environment?
4. if the valid reason for updating the firmware is to keep out non-OEM supplies. If so, should they not immediately stop this practice to help the environment?
5. if any of their firmware updates are for security reasons; and, when these so-called security updates occur, will non-OEM remanufactured supplies be prevented from being used?

The last question for HP is this

How many lawsuits against remanufactured cartridge producers are currently active?

A follow-up to that question, would it not be better for the environment to dismiss all lawsuits aimed at stopping the remanufacturing of cartridges? After all, HP recently told the world that remanufactured cartridges are great for the environment.

Businesses want to control as much of the market share as possible. However, when we hear the talk of green and environmentally friendly, we must clearly determine the rhetoric of any organization’s – Green-Washing over – what is really a “green” way of life for the organization?