Quocirca: Print Industry Vendors Are Accelerating Sustainability Strategy

Quocirca: Print Industry Vendors Are Accelerating Sustainability Strategy

Quocirca’s Print Sustainability Leaders 2023 Study finds that manufacturers are setting ambitious net-zero targets, accelerating circularity initiatives, and pursuing energy efficiency innovations as they strive to reduce the impact of their business on the planet and meet customer demand for more sustainable products and services.

The second edition of Quocirca’s Sustainability Leaders 2023 Study shows that the industry is maturing beyond the initial stages of identifying impacts and setting targets; it is now starting to refine and revise those targets and develop a stronger strategic and tactical approach. The comprehensive report examines vendors’ sustainability strategy including their published environmental credentials, as well as the breadth and depth of their sustainable print product and service portfolio.

Key findings include:

• Leaders demonstrate strong vision and commitment to net-zero: Vendors have set clear targets for net-zero and several have provided interim updates on progress towards key goals such as adopting renewable energy.
• Circularity is an area of strength with remanufacturing, recycled device content, and product life extension all featuring in vendor activities: Several manufacturers reported new or improved remanufacturing initiatives and published targets to increase the recycled content of devices. Product life extension is also a focus, with vendors announcing initiatives including extensions to parts and warranties and designing products for longer lifespans.
• Sustainability customer-focused services are less advanced, but focus is growing: All manufacturers surveyed offer some level of customer sustainability service, but these range from basic product comparison calculators and carbon calculators to more sophisticated full consultancy-style approaches. As customer demands become more focused, we are likely to see vendors refine and develop the services they offer in response.

• Channel programs are evolving: Performance on channel-focused sustainability programs varies, with some vendors offering comprehensive resources and training while others still have room for more activity to support partners to develop sustainability-led revenue streams.

Quocirca analyzed detailed information on each vendor’s approach to sustainability to assess their strategic strength and completeness of offering in terms of sustainable products, services, and go-to-market strategy. Areas covered include corporate sustainability targets; product design and development; manufacturing and raw materials use; supply chain and logistics; recycling and recovery; and channel and customer-focused initiatives. Quocirca’s Vendor Landscape provides a view of leaders, major players, and contenders in the industry with respect to sustainability. The vendors included in the analysis are Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Konica Minolta, Lexmark, Ricoh, Sharp, and Xerox.

Quocirca CEO Louella Fernandes comments: “Sustainability is becoming both a regulatory issue and a customer priority and these twin drivers are prompting print industry vendors to work hard on initiatives and improvements in performance across the board. Sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have, it is a strategic imperative, and it is good to see that vendors are taking a robust approach.  The volume of information vendors provided during the study is a testament to the energy and focus they are dedicating to driving sustainability throughout their businesses.”

Quocirca’s Sustainability Leaders 2023 Report includes full profiles of each vendor, covering strategy, product sustainability and circularity, supply chain initiatives, recycling and remanufacturing, customer services, channel services, and key sustainability partnerships. It also provides an overview of their published sustainability goals. Recommendations for buyers and suppliers are included.

This report complements Quocirca’s Sustainability Trends Report 2023. Together these reports provide a comprehensive overview of buyer expectations and vendor performance in the critical area of sustainability.

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