We think of printers as paper eaters — devices that just aren’t green by nature. But Hewlett-Packard has started pushing a new set of products with some environmental value. The new products are being touted as more energy efficient and cleaner than past offerings. They also extend such HP projects as the ink cartridge recycling program. One of the new Deskjet printers that HP is now offering is actually made mostly from recycled plastics; 83 percent of the model is recycled.

In addition to new products, HP is rolling out a line of services focused on helping consumers go green. Companies, in particular, may benefit from the new “Eco Printing Assessment” which will help them monitor and manage their paper consumption as well as printer usage. HP estimates that careful management could reduce some customers’ carbon footprints by up to 30 percent.

I think these programs are a good move business-wise. HP has rolled out a calculator that can help consumers decide if a new, more efficient printer is going to cut their carbon footprint. That calculator is practically guaranteed to convince at least a few buyers to get rid of their old machines and purchase new, greener models — probably direct from HP.

Image courtesy Hewlett Packard