The Recycler Issue 334

EDITORIAL
COVID-19, Sustainability
- The Future
First of all a big thank you to everyone
who contributed to our 2020 Reimagined
feature. It was interesting to read and to
see how companies and individuals have
faced the challenges and adversity that the
coronavirus has brought upon us and it
seems will be with us in one way or another
for some time. We are pleased to share your
collective experiences in this issue and you
can read about them from page 4.
It isn’t possible to measure the human side
of the pandemic from the illness itself to the
loss of someone near to you. Or the market
changes that see friends and colleagues
lose their jobs through no fault of their
own. We estimate that more than 2,000
jobs have been lost on either a temporary
or permanent basis among The Recycler
audience. We want to help! If you are
looking for a new job, or you have a vacancy
we will circulate both in our employment
newsletter for free. Just send the details to
news@therecycler.com and we will take care
of it.
Sustainability is the way forward and
many countries are now rethinking how
they individually and collectively reset
economies, specific industries (such as
aviation, healthcare and energy); the way
financial systems work; the way we tackle
climate change; and even our chosen brand
of capitalism. In the office printer market,
the opportunities are many and varied and
the pandemic is an added stimulus for the
printer market to rethink and reset how it
works and who it benefits both now and in
the future.
With sustainability as the backdrop,
The Recycler is pleased to announce a new
Sustainability award that will be presented
at Remanexpo / Paperworld on Jan 31,
2021. You can read the full details
on page 14.
Which? Is a UK-based consumer rights
magazine and regularly tests inks and
printers to advise and demystify printer
speak. This year they tested 28 different ink
brands and found that the OEMs were the
most effective, but not necessarily the best.
Indeed, the leading OEM brands featured in
the bottom half of the list. You will have to
buy the report to get the nitty gritty of the
report, but it is a great read and worth the £1
($1.3/ €1.1) trial subscription.
▲ Stefanie Unland Editor
& Publisher, The Recycler
In March we began to see various countries
impose lockdowns to contain the COVID
virus. One aspect of the lockdown was a
switch to working from home. That saw a
demand for both printers and consumables
grow massively and at the same time
corporate click rates fall. In kicks a firmware
update from HP that locks out aftermarket
In the office printer market, the opportunities
are many and varied and the pandemic
is an added stimulus for the printer market
to rethink and reset
consumables, nothing new there, you say.
But it was… the world is responding to the
pandemic, people are trying to keep the
wheels of the economy going by working
from home and looking after and home
schooling kids, and HP does that. Then
home working grows, and consumables
are in short supply and the aftermarket is
stepping up to the mark to meet the demand
and then wham! Another firmware upgrade
that locks out aftermarket consumables
adversely impacts of consumers.
You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist
to see a pattern here… ■
Issue 334
September 2020
3