Gemma Skelley
Head of Marketing
January 2, 2026
Taking the right approach to IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) makes a huge difference to a successful IT strategy; helping organisations to protect their data, cut unnecessary costs, and reduce waste. In short, they keep their technology working for them rather than against them.
But too many printer fleets never get to that point. It is easy for organisations to fall into the habit of replacing devices long before their working life is over. Entire fleets are pulled out and written off, not because they’re beyond repair, but because no one stopped to ask if replacement was really the best option.
We’ll take a look at why that happens, what it’s costing you, and how a more thoughtful, sustainable approach to managing your printers can break the cycle for good.
The problem with the “rip and replace” mindset
“Rip and replace” is exactly what it sounds like: removing hardware long before it’s actually finished its job. With printers, this usually happens because the fleet wasn’t set up to last in the first place. Cheap hardware, rushed procurement, and little visibility over device health all create the impression that starting again is easier.
-
The financial hit
Replacing hardware early is expensive, and not just because of the price tag on a new print fleet. There’s the installation work, configuration time, staff training, and the inevitable disruption when something new enters the environment. Most of these costs are avoidable but they stack up quickly when replacement becomes routine. Total cost of ownership
-
The environmental impact
Printers don’t often appear in sustainability conversations, but they should. Every unnecessary replacement adds to e-waste; uses more raw materials, and increases your carbon footprint. When a device still has years of life left, replacing it becomes wasteful in every sense of the word.
The solution: sustainable, long-term thinking
The good news is that this cycle is avoidable. The solution is simple: choose better hardware upfront and look after it properly.
1. Buy the right printers from the start
Low-cost printers usually cost more in the long run, struggle under heavy use. Higher-quality print hardware lasts longer and stays reliable, which naturally reduces how often you need to think about ITAD.
2. Look after your fleet proactively
Monitoring how your printer fleet is performing enables a fix before fail approach. This means repairing rather than replacing, updating rather than discarding, and ultimately extending the life of your investment. As management platforms continue to evolve towards more unified digital experience monitoring, such as the direction set by tools like HP Workforce Experience Platform, this proactive model will only become more powerful over time.
Simple steps go a long way:
- Track usage and performance
- Replace components rather than whole devices
- Keep firmware up to date
- Plan upgrades based on real needs, not fixed timelines
Think sustainability, not short-term fixes
Before replacing a printer, ask two questions:
1. Is it genuinely at the end of its life?
2. Can it be refurbished or upgraded?
In many cases, a small repair gives a device several more years of useful service. That’s cheaper, greener, and far less disruptive.
Real-World Examples
-
Extending the life of an entire fleet
A UK business replaced its printers every four years out of habit. After switching to more durable devices and doing regular maintenance, they extended the lifecycle to seven years.
What changed:
• Significant cost savings
• Less e-waste
• Fewer IT complaintsNothing about the fleet was “broken”, the organisation just needed better insight and better hardware.
-
Repairs instead of replacements
A university believed its fleet was ready for replacement. After a more detailed assessment, most devices only needed low-cost parts such as rollers or fusers.
Result:
• Six-figure saving
• Minimal downtime
• Zero unnecessary replacements -
The hidden cost of buying cheap
A logistics company bought low-cost printers for its warehouses. Within 18 months, failure rates jumped, print quality dropped, and the IT team spent hours keeping devices alive.
Outcome:
• Emergency replacements needed
• Higher operational costs
• More disruption than any team needsSpending more upfront would have saved them money and a lot of headaches.
Conclusion
“The Great ITAD Rip-Off” happens when organisations treat printers as disposable, quick-fix assets rather than long-lasting tools. Poor hardware choices, short-term thinking, and rushed replacement cycles drain budgets and create unnecessary waste.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
By taking a more considered approach, organisations can spend less, waste less, and run more smoothly.
