Print Industry Sustainability Leaders Focus on Transparency and Credibility
December 4, 2025
Sustainability, Article
Quocirca’s Print Sustainability Leaders Study 2025 finds that vendors are sharpening their focus on providing transparent, credible device-impact data and on gaining third-party certifications as they seek to support customers to make informed decisions and allay concerns about greenwashing.
At the same time, vendors continue to prioritise achieving reductions across scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions as key target years draw nearer, with many accelerating interim targets. They are also building on existing product circularity initiatives and innovating in areas such as materials recovery, reuse, and spare parts programmes.
Quocirca’s assessment methodology identifies HP, Xerox, Ricoh, Canon, Epson and Lexmark as leaders in the market, based on their strong vision and commitment to net-zero, with strength and depth across the board for both completeness of sustainability offerings and strategy vision and execution. Brother, Konica Minolta, Toshiba, and Sharp are identified as major players, with a strong range of established sustainability products and services.
Key trends identified in vendors’ detailed research submissions include:
Environmental impact and lifecycle assessments are table stakes: The lack of data on the environmental performance of devices regularly features in Quocirca research as a key challenge to improving print sustainability. Several vendors have launched or expanded their provision of lifecycle assessments and product performance data during the past year. This is a welcome step towards transparency and helps customers make valid comparisons.
Independent certifications are valued: Vendors know that customers are focused on reducing energy consumption and value widely recognised independent certifications from ENERGY STAR and EPEAT, as well as regional equivalents. Several vendors have received accolades from certification providers recognising their progress, and many report considerable TEC value reductions in new devices.
Remanufacturing and refurbishment activity is rising: Quocirca research has charted an increase in the use of remanufactured and refurbished devices in the past year, and vendor activity corresponds with this rise. The launch of better-than-new remanufactured products, backed with robust warranties, and innovative leasing solutions that help populate second-life product pipelines are contributing to a growing re-use market.
Recycling moves beyond plastic: The percentage of PCR plastic in new devices continues to rise slowly, with some vendors achieving 50%. Sourcing PCR plastic with the right attributes and resilience can be challenging, and some vendors are addressing this by recycling plastic from their own devices and consumables. This year, one vendor has pioneered the use of recycled metal in new devices, sourcing the metal from its own end-of-life machines.
Spare parts innovation: Regulations such as the EU’s Right to Repair law are having an impact on the requirement for vendors to retain spare parts inventory for long periods, with associated environmental impacts associated with manufacturing, storage and transportation. One vendor has piloted an additive manufacturing programme that will see spare parts created on-demand.
Louella Fernandes, CEO, Quocirca, comments: “Vendors recognise that customers want credible data on product performance, alongside help to continue reducing the impact of their print infrastructure. This year, we’ve seen a notable focus on providing more detailed, accessible product performance data, alongside carbon assessment, management, and offsetting services.
“Vendors are also continuing to innovate to achieve circular economy gains and develop commercially viable pathways for remanufacturing and refurbishing devices. Finally, it is encouraging to see that, despite changing political circumstances and regulatory delays, vendors continue striving to meet and beat emissions targets and develop innovative responses to environmental challenges.”
Quocirca’s fourth Sustainability Leaders Study tracks the progress of vendor sustainability initiatives in a comprehensive report that details corporate strategy, circularity approach, supply chain initiatives, customer and channel sustainability support, and identifies vendor-specific areas of innovation. It also provides an overview of their published sustainability goals.
The report features: Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Konica Minolta, Lexmark, Ricoh, Sharp, Toshiba TEC Group, and Xerox.
This report complements Quocirca’s Sustainability Trends Report 2025. Together these reports provide a comprehensive overview of buyer expectations and vendor performance in the critical area of sustainability.
