Epson Ends All Laser Printer Sales By 2026

(Photo: Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler/Wikimedia Commons)Epson is a Japanese hardware company best known for their printers. The reason Epson has decided to end its laser printer division is sustainability. In a quiet decision, the company will stop selling laser printer hardware until 2026. The company will instead focus on its more environmentally-friendly inkjet printers, according to a statement obtained by The Register. The company has stopped selling laser printers to the United States, but it maintained its line in Europe and Asia. Although consumers will not be able buy new Epson printers starting in 2026, Epson promises to support existing customers with spare parts and supplies.

Epson claims that its inkjets produce up to 85 per cent less carbon dioxide and are 85 percent more efficient than laser units. While these numbers may not seem important to people who only occasionally print at home sometimes, businesses and other nonprofits can benefit from them by reducing their energy consumption and carbon footprint.

Inkjets require less single-use materials. Inkjet printers do not require toner, fusers or developer. Instead, they use ink and a waste ink container. Inkjet printers not only produce 60 percent less waste than lasers but also burn a lot of oil to make one cartridge.

The decision to end all laser printer sales is likely a part of Epson’s “Environmental Vision 2050,” a circular economic model the company first committed to in 2018 and revised last year. Its biggest focus is Epson’s promise to become carbon-negative and “underground resource free” by 2050.

That said, inkjet printers aren’t the definitive solution to sustainable printing that Epson would like consumers to believe them to be. The inkjet cartridges are quick to dry, which means that some users end up using more ink. Printing inkjet is more expensive per page. This means that the energy savings gained from removing a laser printer could be lost while being used. Epson was also in trouble recently when it forced some users of its printers to see an authorized technician to repair their suddenly broken machines. Some Epson L360, L130, L220, L310, and L365 users even have to replace their machines altogether, which only puts more money in Epson’s pocket while producing seemingly unnecessary e-waste.

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