From recycled ink and toner cartridges to ink and energy-efficient printers, the green movement has gradually picked up steam as manufacturers attempt to get you to tap into your inner-conservationist. Now Xerox has a new toner with ingredients designed to reduce energy use in its printers. It’s called Ultra Low-Melt EA Toner and it addresses the critical step in the printing process where the printer heats the toner and seals it to the paper. Xerox says that this accounts for 50-80% of the overall power that a printer uses. The new toner “melts at as much as 45 degrees Fahrenheit lower” than the toner you currently use for Xerox products, thereby reducing energy use “by as much as 15 to 30 percent.”

 

So what’s the significance of this new eco-friendly consumable? We covered Xerox’s sustainability calculator back in April and assessed its ability to measure your office’s energy use and diagnose potential issues. But like the old GI Joe PSAs say, knowing is only half the battle. Ultra Low-Melt EA Toner provides a nice complement to the calculator by empowering you to actually do something about your energy consumption, at least in theory. For now, only the Xerox 700 Digital Color Press uses the new toner, but look for its compatibility to expand into consumer printers and MFPs in the near future.