Earth Day, the public event that has been strongly supported by Lexmark since 2003, is a day of action for many organisations across the world and an opportunity for Lexmark, the printing solutions provider, to further promote its environmental commitments - educating users about how to reduce paper waste and increasing their awareness about more responsible printing.

Research conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Lexmark[1] showed that European workers admitted that one page in five printed pages ends up in the waste bin without being read. Lexmark's Life-Cycle Analysis[2] found that most of a printer's carbon footprint actually comes from paper use - compared with around ten per cent in terms of energy. Similarly, the usage phase accounts for the vast majority - between 55 and 68 per cent for an inkjet MFP printer and 80 per cent for a laser printer.

Earth Day: an opportunity for Lexmark to provide some green tips

Lexmark's day-to-day recommendations to Print Less include:
- Print only what is necessary and print double-sided as much as possible
- Use high-yield ink cartridges rather than standard ones
- Use the draft mode to save ink or toner and reduce cartridge waste
- Turn printer off at home when not in use or before leaving the office
- Calculate the carbon footprint of your printing using a tool such as Lexmark's eco-simulator

"By encouraging users to adopt a greener attitude towards printing at home and in the office, Lexmark has helped decrease the amount of paper wasted globally, reducing the impact on the environment," said Francois Feuillet, General Manager of Lexmark Middle East. "We are confident that these habits will dramatically improve by 2010, helped by government initiatives to make everyone's lifestyle and work life greener."

Eighteen years of environmental commitment

2009 also marks 18 years since Lexmark was founded in 1991. Back in 1991, Lexmark launched its free cartridge collection programme and developed high-yield cartridges. In 1993, Lexmark became a chartered member of the Energy star printer programme. Since 1997, Lexmark has taken into account in its product development the criteria set by the relevant industry certification Blue Angel, which ensures a green product range from its design to the end of life.  Lexmark has been setting an environmental example since its birth and has allowed its customers to reduce their paper consumption by 50% by proposing duplex and multi-up functions as well as high yield cartridges on a large part of its range of products. In Europe, Lexmark now collects one cartridge every seven seconds.

About Lexmark: Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) provides businesses and consumers in more than 150 countries with a broad range of printing and imaging products, solutions and services that help them to be more productive. In 2008, Lexmark reported $4.5 billion in revenue. Learn how Lexmark can help you get more done at www.lexmark-me.com.