Epson plans to cease production of laser printers completely by 2026. The company cites sustainability concerns.
The printer giant claims that laser technology has a “limited ability” to make significant steps towards improved sustainability “due to its requirement for heat during the print process and therefore increased energy use”.
The company plans to pivot its printers entirely towards inkjet technology, claiming this “can reduce energy consumption compared to laser” and that the “compact footprint and a lightweight design” of these inkjet printers can help “limit resources used during production and shipping”.
What makes Inkjet so special?
In a blog posting (opens new tab) Epson claims that its inkjet printers use less energy than similar laser printers, and emit less carbon dioxide, citing its own data.
To print onto paper, inkjet printers use a nozzle assembly and wet ink. Laser printers use a laser with dry ink (also known as toner) to print.
Inkjet printers are generally smaller than laser counterparts and have a higher cost per page.
This news comes a year after Epson announced a ¥100 billion investment into sustainable innovation. Epson has been subject to intense criticism in recent years for its environmental practices, despite its latest public commitment towards sustainability.
Epson confirms in July 2022 (opens new tab) Some printers by the company are made to cease working after a set period of time. Customers will need to replace it or have it repaired by an authorized person.
The timecoded limit was reported to impact Epson’s L360 L130, L220, L310, and L365 model printers.
Jonathan Zittrain, Harvard professor, commented on the Fight to Repair blog’s news.
“A printer self-bricking after a while is a great example of ‘you think you bought a product, but you really rented a service.”