PrintIT Reseller: What tools and support do you provide channel partners to help them meet growing sustainability demands across the print ecosystem?
Nick Taylor: In addition to heat-free inkjet devices that consume less energy and consumables than the industry’s legacy technology, Epson’s optimisation report enables our channel partners to calculate environmental savings on behalf of their customers when converting from laser to Epson’s heat-free inkjet, making environmental accountability a key consideration in an otherwise plain and transactional buying process. While Epson does not sell its office printers directly, it does offer support and consultation throughout the buying process to help ensure both our partners and their customers understand the environmental implications of choosing Epson’s heat-free inkjet technology.
Matthew Hayman: We are active in our engagement of our channel partners, to help them understand the importance of ESG within print and how Kyocera can partner with them to support end-user sustainability. We provide a wealth of information on our website, plus ready-made channel assets and campaigns on our partner portal, plus our knowledgeable account managers are available to help with any specific requirements. Our 100% carbon mitigation model offers best-in-industry carbon management, allied to Oxford Principles for net zero-aligned carbon offsetting. This offers our channel partners a comprehensive solution to their customers’ sustainability needs.
Tatsuo Murakami: We empower our channel partners to lead the conversation by combining RISO’s industry-leading ecohardware with powerful software. RISO machines produce significantly less e-waste and require fewer service interventions. We provide the tools to transition customers from printing less to printing smart to eliminate uncollected print jobs by requiring user authentication at the device. RISO print solutions deliver total cost of ownership and sustainability benefits that demonstrate the long-term energy and cost savings of moving from laser to RISO’s unique cold inkjet ForceJet technology.
Kerry Rush: Our commitment is to fully support partners of all sizes and ensure they remain a vital part of our go-tomarket strategy. What sets us apart is the combination of our diverse products and services with a dedicated channel approach. We give partners access to our full portfolio, along with tailored support, resources, and expertise to address a wide range of client needs.
The SharpOne partner platform provides up-to-date product information and marketing materials, while the updated Sharp Partnershop streamlines processes, making it easier for dealers to do business with us. Our software solutions, such as Synappx, include sustainability dashboards to track and benchmark environmental performance. By offering stability, support, and knowledgesharing, we empower our partners to connect people and technology through trusted, sustainable solutions.
James Hosking: We work with WBM to provide our dealers with access to the Circular Planet recycling initiative, which supports a more sustainable, circular approach across the print lifecycle. Through this programme, end-users of Develop products can benefit from free recycling of genuine consumables and parts, helping reduce waste and ensure materials are handled responsibly at end-of-life. For our channel partners, it provides a practical and credible way to meet growing customer expectations around sustainability, while reinforcing the value of using original supplies and maintaining a lower overall environmental impact.
Lynne Brown: Xerox equips partners with data-rich tools, turnkey services, training and go-to-market support so they can lead credible sustainability conversations, deliver measurable outcomes, and report progress with confidence. This ensures that partners can help their clients meet their sustainability goals, which in turn supports partner growth through enhanced total customer value and new revenue streams.
Xerox MPS Advanced Analytics provides real-time insights and a dedicated sustainability view to track progress against key environmental KPIs, with its carbon lifecycle emissions dashboard offering clients the carbon footprint related to device manufacturing, transport to installation site, usage, service, and end-of-life recycling. This is enhanced by the Lexmark CO2mpute Carbon Calculator which also provides lifecycle-based carbon footprint reporting on a device level. Both tools are grounded in third-party verified lifecycle assessment methods.
When it comes to training and marketing materials, our structured e-learning and certifications help partners speak credibly about sustainability and tie outcomes to customer CSR goals. Similar to the existing Lexmark sustainability specialisation, the new Xerox sustainability solutions specialisation was created for partners who want to better align their offerings to help meet the sustainability needs of their clients. Furthermore, partner portal assets, campaign kits, and email engine provide co-brandable collateral, landing pages, and social content focused on sustainability.
For service and support, our remote-first maintenance via predictive AI, proactive supplies, and multivendor fleet monitoring reduces truck rolls and emissions and increases cost and time savings for partners.
Lousie Marshall: Partners can offer customers access to Brother’s free consumables return schemes, supporting circularity without added complexity. For those on Brother MPS Enterprise, this is enhanced with clear, auditable reporting on carbon savings that customers can use within their own ESG reporting. Alongside this, partners can lean on independently recognised product certifications, recyclable packaging credentials and clear lifecycle messaging, supported by sales enablement, training and assets through BrotherZone.
Stuart Miller: Beyond providing cutting-edge devices that prioritise energy efficiency, recyclability, minimising waste and leveraging AI for remote monitoring and diagnostics, we are focused on providing a rich network of sustainability training and expertise to partners. This ensures they are equipped to meet the growing demands of customers and meet James Hosking regulatory requirements.
PrintIT Reseller: What further support from OEMs would help you to meet customer expectations around sustainability?
Marino Keith: We need OEMs to move toward a more radical, educational transparency regarding the full lifecycle cost of technology. It would be incredibly beneficial for manufacturers to provide standardised, easily digestible data that highlights exactly where the CO2e burden lies, whether that is in raw material sourcing or distribution routes. Shifting the conversation away from simple energy ratings and toward lowered production impacts and shortened supply chains, will help us provide the honest, data-driven answers our customers are now demanding.
David Lees: Our suppliers already provide strong eco-credentials, but additional transparency on materials sourcing and expanded take-back programs would help us offer even more credible, sustainable solutions to our customers.
Ryan Green: The support we need most from OEMs is clearer, more consistent transparency. Having access to straightforward, independently validated standardised environmental data like the detailed disclosures already found in Epson’s sustainability reporting would make it far easier for us to give customers the credible information they’re asking for. I’d also love to see OEMs expand and
standardise their recycling and closed loop programmes so we can offer customers genuinely robust, trackable end‑of‑life pathways, rather than the mixed picture we still see today.
And honestly, a more universal, uniform approach to sustainability labelling and certifications would make a huge difference! Customers are not naïve, they expect clarity, and right now every OEM presents data differently. Anything that helps simplify the picture – more tools, clearer dashboards, consistent reporting would make sustainability conversations much easier and far more meaningful.
Warren Colby: OEM support that enables longer product life, secure reuse and consistent access to approved parts and firmware would further strengthen circular outcomes. Design choices that support disassembly, remanufacturing and long-term durability help maximise the usable life of devices and reduce lifecycle emissions. Closer alignment on sustainability data and lifecycle transparency would also help customers better evidence their environmental impact across complex supply chains.
Michael Field: Greater consistency and accessibility of product-level environmental data from OEMs would significantly support partners and customers alike. Standardised lifecycle carbon reporting, clearer refurbishment certification frameworks, and expanded availability of remanufactured device programmes would enable partners to provide more robust sustainability guidance.
Continued innovation is also important, including broader availability of certified carbon-neutral and low‑emissions print devices designed with sustainable materials and energyefficient performance. Ongoing collaboration between OEMs and channel partners will be essential to deliver the transparency, circularity and measurable environmental outcomes that customers increasingly expect.
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