EPSON will completely stop the laser printer business in 2026 due to environmental sustainability, but energy saving may not be as good as imagined | TechNews Technology New Report

According to foreign media reports, due to environmental sustainability issues, Japanese printer manufacturer Epson (EPSON) is reducing the size of its laser printer department, and is expected to stop laser printer sales in 2026.

According to foreign media The Register, EPSON will focus on the development of more environmentally friendly inkjet printers in the printer business. Although the company stopped selling laser printers in the United States not long ago, it has continued to supply products in other markets, including Asia and Europe. However, from 2026, consumers around the world will no longer be able to buy new EPSON laser printers, but the company still promises to continue to provide consumables and components to serve existing customers.

EPSON states that inkjet printers are 85% more energy efficient than laser printers and emit 85% less CO2. These stats may not matter to individuals who occasionally print at home, but inkjet printers offer businesses and nonprofits a way to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint. Specifically, inkjet printers generally require fewer disposable resources, using only ink compared to laser printers that rely on toner, photosensitive bone, developer, and other one-time components and ink tanks. As a result, not only do inkjet printers generate nearly 60 percent less electronic waste than laser printers, but they are also more environmentally friendly, with one toner cartridge statistic burning half a gallon to a gallon of petroleum .

The report emphasized that the decision to end all sales of laser printers may be part of the “EPSON 2050 Environmental Sustainability Plan,” a circular economy model the company first committed to in 2018 and revised in 2021. Its biggest focus is EPSON’s commitment to achieve the goal of “zero carbon emissions” and “no fossil resources” by 2050. In fact, it also means that inkjet printers are not the ultimate solution for sustainable printing that EPSON wants consumers to believe. The reason is that the ink tanks of inkjet printers dry out relatively quickly, causing some inkjet printing users to actually buy more ink than they actually use. In addition, the cost per page of inkjet printing is also higher. That means the energy savings from ditching a laser printer will likely only be compensated for during use.

(First image source: Flickr/Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine CC BY 2.0)