Canon is to begin using recycled steel in its printers amid what analysts are seeing as a renewed push for circularity in the wider print industry.
The vendor this week announced it will begin using scrap-recycled steel in some of its multifunction devices, home inkjet printers, large-format inkjet printers and commercial printing presses that will be released in 2025.
Canon – which harbours a 2050 net zero goal – positioned the move as a leap forward in its efforts to boost its use of recycled materials and components.
The Japanese giant has committed to raising its resource recycling rate (namely what proportion of the sales volume by weight of Canon’s Printing Business utilizes recycled materials or components) to 50% by 2030, up from 20% in 2025 and 16% in fiscal 2022.
“Renewed push for circularity”
Market intelligence firm Quocirca’s recent Sustainability Leaders 2024 report found that use of recycled materials in printers and MFPs is rising.
HP’s DeskJet 2855e All-in-One Printer incorporates 60% recycled plastic, while Lexmark’s 9-Series range achieves 56% PCR plastic, the report noted, for instance.
Talking to IT Channel Oxygen, Quocirca Director Louella Fernandes said that Canon’s steel initiative “aligns with a renewed push for circularity in the print industry”.
“We are seeing vendors pushing up the percentage of post-consumer recycled plastic content in their devices, with some new product ranges surpassing 50%,” she said.
“Across the board, print vendors are striving to reduce the impact of devices across their lifecycle, as they pursue net-zero targets.”
Steel is the second most-used material by weight in Canon’s printing products, behind only plastic.
Canon will be using electric furnace steel sheets in its products. These are recycled materials produced in an electric furnace from steel scrap that has been collected from used products.
CO2 emissions from the production of electric furnace steel sheets are about one-fifth of those from blast furnace steel sheets – common steel materials made from iron ore – Canon noted.
“With steel being almost infinitely recyclable and the recycling process having a much lower CO2 impact than refining iron ore, Canon will be calculating that this move will help it achieve its 2050 net-zero target,” Fernandes said.
