Fighting electronic waste and the throwaway mentality

Even if many people talk about it: The paperless office has barely arrived in the vast majority of companies. Small and medium-sized companies have dozens, sometimes hundreds of printers standing around and are still in heavy use. From an environmental point of view, printers are a major problem: their production consumes a lot of valuable raw materials and they are generally disposed of far too quickly and in a dirty manner. Sachs Printing AG has been fighting this problem for more than fifteen years. The company has therefore now been accepted into the Ethik Society - an award for its practical commitment to the environment and its wide-ranging sustainability efforts.

Switzerland is one of the largest producers of electronic waste

"A district of Accra, the capital of Ghana, is home to the largest landfill site for electronic waste in the whole of Africa. A large proportion of this waste comes from Europe. The old appliances are incinerated there. This makes Agbogbloshie one of the most toxic places in the world. Around 85 percent of the electronic devices disposed of work perfectly or could be repaired. Printers and photocopiers are part of this throwaway problem because they are replaced after four to five years, even though this is not necessary. It is worth noting that Switzerland is one of the largest producers of electronic waste per capita per year. The amount is increasing every year - a serious consequence of our increasingly digitalized world," explains Reto Sachs, founder and CEO of Sachs Printing AG. As a farmer's son, nature is close to his heart, which is why he decided to take a new and pragmatic approach as a pioneer in his industry.

Small problems, big impact

With its Sachs Printing AG, Sachs offers a solution that doubles the service life of printers on average, optimizes their strategic use and both reduces the consumption of ink and toner and optimizes their procurement. "We increase efficiency and relieve IT departments of annoying printer problems, thereby increasing our customers' revenue. But we are also reducing the burden on the environment and solving a major problem," says Sachs. The entrepreneur thus makes it clear that growth and efficiency are not at odds with sustainability and environmental protection.

Economy and ecology are not a contradiction

"That's why we have accepted Sachs Printing AG and entrepreneur Reto Sachs into the Ethik Society and honored him," explains Jürgen Linsenmaier. Jürgen Linsenmaier is the founder of the Ethik Society and honors personalities who are particularly committed to sustainability, the economy for the common good, business ethics and the compatibility of economy and ecology. "Sachs Printing AG is an outstanding example of how even supposedly small things like printing can help to get environmental problems under control and make business more sustainable." There are many ways to make a company more sustainable, socially and environmentally friendly, even away from the big beacons. "It's usually the everyday things that are particularly helpful in acting in a more environmentally conscious way. Reto Sachs is a good role model for others by creating solutions," says Linsenmaier.

Role model for others

Sachs Printing AG is one of several companies from Switzerland that are members of the Ethik Society. A total of around 100 companies from the entire DACH region have already been awarded the coveted membership. Each one makes its contribution to the respective industry and society and serves as a model for sustainable business practices and the principles of the honorable businessman.

Sources and further information: www.sachsprinting.ch / www.ethik-society.de