When it comes to the question of the right type of paper, this is always related to the intended use. No one needs premium paper if they just need a quick printout as a reminder or for other short-term use.

Therefore, in most cases, printer paper made from waste paper can be used. The recycling processes have now become so good that you can hardly tell the difference to premium paper. Another advantage in addition to the idea of sustainability is the cost savings. Because recycled paper usually costs significantly less than premium paper.

When it comes to printing graphics, you cannot avoid using high-quality paper, but the number of such printouts should be kept as low as possible in times when everything can be presented digitally much more easily.

In addition to choosing the right type of paper, it is also important to use the available print area as optimally as possible (if possible) and not to use several pages for content that can also be easily read on one page.

As a rule, when printing, the content is transferred to the printer in 100% size, which is usually correct in terms of readability. Nevertheless, you can see here whether a lower setting is not sufficient to perhaps save one or two sheets of paper.

Anyone who prints frequently knows exactly that ink and toner are enormous cost drivers. If you have replaced the ink cartridges twice, you could almost immediately buy a completely new printer instead.

Unfortunately, this has become a bad habit on the part of the manufacturers, which is almost tantamount to a frequently denied, but definitely existing, planned obsolescence in order to promote the sale of new printer models. The customer actually has almost no choice here, perhaps switching to a manufacturer that focuses more on sustainability.

So on the one hand there is still the possibility to switch to alternative printer cartridges and toner, but of course also to use the consumables sparingly. By default, the printer settings are preset so that “normal quality” is printed. Here you should consider beforehand whether it needs to be a high-quality print or whether the draft mode is not sufficient.

The bottom line is that the same rule applies here as with paper. The crowd does it!

It is often said that the best comes at the end. And that also applies to the correct disposal of printers and especially the printer cartridges or toner cartridges. Because these contain a whole range of chemical residues, plastics and electronic components, all of which should be disposed of properly.

Under no circumstances should you throw them carelessly in the normal household waste or in the yellow bin. These are not suitable for this and should in any case be disposed of via the dealers for printers and accessories where they were purchased, or via appropriate recycling centers.