Lance Netherton: RDS’ sustainability champion

Sustainability in IT is often viewed through a single lens – the importance of cutting energy consumption.

But for Lance Netherton, Senior Presales Consultant and Sustainability Champion at Right Digital Solutions, the view is far more complex. With decades of industry experience, Lance is on a mission to educate businesses about the true environmental impact of IT and print management – not just during their operational life, but across their entire lifecycle.

Lance is committed to promoting eco-friendly initiatives both within our own company and for our clients, aligning with our dedication to environmental responsibility. His expertise in presales consulting enables him to design and recommend solutions that not only meet business objectives but also adhere to sustainable practices, thereby reducing environmental footprints.

We sat down with Lance to discuss his work which has many aspects that aren’t simply black and white. For example…

“The bulk of a device’s carbon footprint is created before the customer even switches it on,” explains Lance. “Around 60% of a new device’s CO₂ emissions come from raw material extraction, manufacturing and distribution – long before it ever prints its first page.”

That’s a staggering statistic – one that highlights why sustainability isn’t just about reducing power consumption but also about rethinking how businesses procure and manage their technology in the first place.

The double-edged sword of energy efficiency

Of course, reducing energy use is still a key part of the puzzle. Lance points out that the latest generations of printers consume anywhere from 10% to 80% less energy than their predecessors – depending on the age of the machine being replaced. But that’s only part of the equation.

“When we analyse printer usage, we see that they’re only actively printing for a fraction of the day. That’s when they use the most power. The rest of the time, they’re sitting idle either in ready mode or sleep mode, where energy savings vary widely between manufacturers.”

This is where clever optimisation can make a difference. Lance and the RDS team work with clients to fine-tune power settings, reducing the time it takes for machines to drop into low-energy sleep modes and ensuring they are only fully operational when needed.

The inkjet debate: A greener option?

Inkjet manufacturers often claim that their low-energy printing technology is a game-changer for sustainability. While it’s true that ink-based devices use significantly less power during printing compared to traditional laser machines, Lance has uncovered a crucial caveat.

“What they don’t tell you,” he says, “is that inkjet printers waste a lot of ink just to keep themselves running. The nozzles need to be kept clean and the only way the printer does that is by flushing them through with ink.”

That means a portion of each expensive ink cartridge isn’t going on the page, it’s literally being washed away. And then there’s the issue of overzealous exchanges.

When to replace your old printer fleet?

Many businesses, in pursuit of greener credentials, replace their existing printer fleet with newer, more sustainable models. In principle, that’s a great idea. But if they do it long before their old machines have reached the end of their useful life, that decision can carry its own significant carbon footprint.

“There’s an environmental cost to scrapping devices that are still perfectly functional,” Lance notes. “You have to consider the CO₂ impact of collecting, transporting and disposing of machines – plus the (considerable) emissions from manufacturing and delivering their replacements.”

The printer that stopped for no good reason

One of Lance’s most oft-quoted industry anecdotes involves a house painter refusing to paint a house because he ran out of yellow paint, even though the house was to be painted black and white and didn’t need yellow. It’s a perfect metaphor for how most printers behave: if one toner colour runs out, the entire machine grinds to a halt.

“Some devices actually have a setting that allows them to continue printing in black – or even blue – if another colour runs out. But many brands don’t, meaning businesses can waste time and money waiting for emergency toner deliveries.”

It’s these small, avoidable inefficiencies that motivate Lance. Because, while businesses are keen to reduce costs and improve sustainability, many don’t realise how much control they already have – with the right technology and setup.

That’s why, at RDS, we will always offer the best advice to our clients. For example, we can further enhance a business’ energy consumption by optimising their machines to be as energy efficient as possible.

We do this by using the reset and on/off timers. We shorten the time that machines wait before dropping from the ready state to being asleep; and we programme the on/off timers to turn the machines on at, say, 7am then off again at 7pm Monday to Friday. They will then be off completely on Saturday and Sunday. So you won’t be burning energy and clocking up yet more carbon, while there’s no-one in the office.

Contact us to learn more about how RDS can help reduce your carbon footprint

The ReNu solution: A smarter, more sustainable approach

This is where RDS’ ReNu service offers a practical, game-changing solution to the dilemmas Lance highlights. Instead of pushing businesses to always buy new, ReNu provides remanufactured, high-quality print devices that offer the same performance (or better) without the massive environmental toll of manufacturing from scratch.

“When a customer opts for a second-use device, they don’t generate any new pre-use CO₂ emissions – because the original owner already accounted for them,” Lance explains. That can really help a business with its ESOS (Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme) reporting.

ReNu devices go through a comprehensive remanufacturing process, ensuring they meet – and even exceed – the same reliability and efficiency standards as new models, but with substantially lower carbon impact.

And it’s not just about sustainability – it’s about cost savings, too. Businesses not only reduce their environmental footprint, but they also cut costs by investing in technology that performs like new, for a fraction of the price.

“Sustainability in IT isn’t just about using less energy,” Lance concludes. “It’s about making smarter choices; using what we have for longer, reducing unnecessary waste and only replacing devices when it truly makes sense. That’s how businesses can make a real difference.”

With thought leaders like Lance driving the conversation, sustainable IT isn’t just an aspiration – it’s an achievable reality.

And with ReNu leading the way, RDS is helping businesses turn sustainability into a smart business decision, one that’s good for the planet and the bottom line.

To learn more about the benefits of RDS’ ReNu services, please download our brochure…