which is greener? thermal printing vs laser printing

For people who care about the green office environment, green printing-knowledge is power.
But the real facts about printer technology are elusive.
The main source of information for buyers is the company that produces printers.
So, how do two completely different printing technologies, such as thermal printing and laser printing, compare with environmental impact?
The most common use of hot printing is to extract transaction receipts from air pumps, ATMs and cash registers.
The use of hot fax machines and copiers in the office has almost disappeared.
Most offices, including home offices, have laser printers because of their low operating costs and have a wide range of features such as copying, fax and scanning.
California has developed a best practice manual for office machines that identifies some of the standards used when measuring \"green\"
\"Ness\" of the printing device \".
Let\'s apply their criteria to see which one is more eco-friendly: hot printing or laser printing.
Energy saving options printer models that provide \"sleep\" mode during inactivity can save up to 60% of power usage.
Look for printers that meet Energy Star requirements.
Sharing printers over multiple users\' networks can save energy.
This is a common technology for laser printers in offices with several employees.
However, this is not very practical for thermal printers that are usually included in the product sales trading equipment.
For the green design function, it is possible to view the printer itself to prevent waste.
Recyclable designs may include the use of post-consumer scrap, parts that are easy to disassemble, the least coating, and labeled parts.
The service life of the printer and its manufacturer\'s commitment to maintain the supply of replacement parts is a consideration for the removal of retired printers from landfill sites.
Compared to laser printing, discarded thermal printers are much smaller in size than most laser printers.
Automatic double for some printers
Double-sided printing saves paper.
The paper printed by laser can be recycled.
Many offices provide bins near the printer to recycle the wrong print.
Laser printers capable of printing on various paper types can use recycled paper.
The thermal printer must use special sensitive paper to create a hot image.
Heat-sensitive paper cannot be recycled.
Because paper receipts are often thrown into paper recycling bins, the thermal paper printed above becomes a pollutant, leaving brown spots on the re-manufactured paper.
Consumables for laser printers (such as toner cartridges, image drums, belts and fuser) are more eco-friendly as individual components.
Some manufacturers put toner cartridges and drums together.
Then, even if only one part runs out, two parts must be replaced.
Toner cartridges can be refilled or re-manufactured.
Air quality studies conducted by the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Syracuse University found that office computers, photocopiers and printing equipment produce heat and volatile organic compounds (VOC)emissions.
Their test of the printer showed that there were significant emissions during and immediately after the printing cycle, with little emissions during idle periods.
The VOCs controlled by FCC include benzene, ozone, fifteenth, phenol, styrene, toluene and PX.
Different printing technologies and different printer models produce different VOCs, emission levels, and heat levels.
Before purchasing a printer, the buyer may ask the manufacturer for specific information about VOC emissions.
There was a lot of noise and people were talking and the equipment was buzzing.
Average normal conversation between 60 and 65 dBA.
The ad volume of the hot printer is 48 dBA.
In print mode, the laser printer is about 56 dBA.
The fan of some laser printer models is independent of the print operation, and the running time is about 35 dBA.
Hazardous content thermal sensitive paper is imaged to increase sensitivity by coating it with chemicals similar to benzene.
The heated print head moves on the paper to produce a hot image.
In order to make more lasting images, a strong chemical formula is required.
Thermal paper is not recyclable due to strong chemical coating.
In laser printing, Toner is made of toner and various polymers.
Each manufacturer has its own toner formula.
The polymers that are commonly used are benzenyl, polyester or benzenyl.
Fuser melts toner on paper to form an image.
Laser Toner is not a hazardous material.
Images are provided by Wikimedia.