Methodology
Topten presents the most environmentally friendly printers. The lists show the most energy-efficient printers for private use (private use, home office, optimised for photo printing, or use at individual workstations) as well as printers for office use (floor printers, printers with finishing options such as stapling, punching, folding). A distinction is made between standard format (A3+, A3, A4, photo paper, envelopes), colour and black/white printers, and between inkjet and laser printers. Written information from the manufacturers as well as information in brochures and on the Internet serve as the basis for the selection. All devices must be available on the Swiss market.
Printers for private use can be found at this link.
Printers for office use can be found at this link.
Technical criteria
The devices must meet the following criteria:
- Laser printers must be labeled with the "Blue Angel" label
- Inkjet printers must have the automatic duplex function (double-sided printing)
Blue Angel
Official German environmental label. Blue Angel printers or multifunction devices all share a common advantage: their impact on the environment and their risks to health are reduced. This is achieved in the following way:
- Indoor pollution is particularly low
- Strict requirements for material selection (use of low-pollutant materials)
- Recycling-friendly design
- Low energy consumption also serves climate protection
Order of presentation
Products are ranked according to their annual electricity cost, which has been calculated by Topten. The order of presentation can be changed by clicking "sort by".
Glossary
Brand
Name of the manufacturer of the base model.
Model
Model name of the base model.
Variants
Text description or model name of variations of the base model.
Printing technology
Indicates the printing technology available: Inkjet (also called inkjet) or laser.
Support glass
If a model has a support glass, pages can be copied and scanned compared to pure printers which do not have this glass.
Color printing
Color printing or monochrome (black and white).
Format
Maximum size of the paper format.
Two-sided output
This function allows double-sided copies to be made in one step.
Print speed black and white or colour
The print speed is specified in number of pages per minute, separately for black and white and colour.
TEC
Typical Electricity Consumption (kWh/week): a value measured according to Energy Star standards for the typical weekly electricity consumption of an office device. To earn the Energy Star label, the TEC value must be below a certain threshold.
Number of ink cartridges
Number of ink cartridges of the base device. Depending on the model, 1 (black) to 4 (black, red, yellow, blue), 5 (additional more intense black), 6 (additional colour for improved photo printing) or even more. Individual cartridges can be better replaced.
Paper stock
Standard paper supply of the basic device in number of sheets.
Paper supply optional
Paper supply, which can be additionally expanded, in number of sheets.
Separate sheet feeder
Side additional sheet feeder of the base unit in number of sheets.
Resolution
Maximum resolution when printing or copying (dpi = dots per inch. 1 inch = 2.54 cm).
Height, width, depth
Dimensions of the model in cm.
Weight
Weight of the model in kg.
Noise
Noise of the model in dB.
Infoplus
Standards and Labels
Publications
Links
- The European council for an energy efficient economy eceee provides a status overview on all products in the Ecodesign & Energy Labelling process
- Coolproducts informs about the EU ecodesign process. It is a coalition of NGOs' campaign for a stronger, fast Ecodesign Directive to save the climate and money.
- ECOS (Ecostandard) is an international NGO with a network of members and experts advocating for environmentally friendly technical standards, policies and laws.
Producers and retailers are kindly asked to contact info(at)topten.info to inform about more products which meet the Topten selection criteria.
09/2022 Bush
