UPS Going Labeless with Super Cool Paper-Free Printer
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California 
on 11.13.08
Photo via HP
UPS has long been interested in improving efficiency. For a year and a half, HP and UPS have been working together to develop a scanner/printer that prints sorting labels directly on packages. The time and effort looks to be worth it because this awesome little device means huge paper, money and time savings.
The device underscores that it pays to be green – according to UPS's estimates, it will save about 92,456 hours year through increased productivity, save about 1,338 tons of paper, and reduce carbon emissions by 3,807 tons each year.
Read on for details of how it works, plus a video.
The HP Handheld sp400 All-in-One was tested in Orlando Florida, where it was used on 40,000 packages per day with zero errors. The device scans the label, and prints sorting information directly on the package with fast-drying ink designed by HP. It replaces the previous system that included a large thermal printer, PC, monitor and scanner, which hopefully means a lot less electricity and e-waste in addition to all the other savings.
The device should last quite awhile, as it was made to resist multiple 6-foot drops, and uses a lithium-ion battery. However, the website only states “multiple hours” of printing and scanning per charge. So exactly how long a charge lasts, we aren't yet quite sure. Though, with the ability to do over 1,250 prints per hour, that seems reasonable for today’s Li-Ion battery capabilities. Perhaps future upgrades will include environmentally friendly inks and better battery power.
Check out a video co-produced by HP and UPS that demonstrates the use and innovation behind this cool new device.
More on HP:
HP's Pavilion Has Gone Green - Or Has It?
HP Bags Wal-Mart's Reduced Packaging Award With Laptop In A Bag
More on UPS:
UPS Delivering Small Packages With Small Vehicles
UPS Deploys 167 Compressed Natural Gas Trucks
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
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Ok, I think it would be helpful if there was somne rounfing in the numbers in these kinds of posts. Saying something will prevent 3,807 tons of CO2 emissions each year is absurdly specific; there has to be uncertainty in that number. Does it include wider-scale market adoption of this device, or maybe use by FedEx or the postal service? Uncertainty in the processes that are used to make, print and affix shipping labels now?
At fedex,the current system uses heat printed labels,which I believe are less toxic than ink based system. But all the stickers, the discarded sticker backings and relatively less recyclable carboard-with-stickers-on might make the switch worth it.
Hopefully there will be enough ink ordered at UPS...running out of labels is a pain.
Even more hopefully, someone there will have the sense to use non-toxic inks.
I love hearing about productivity improvements like that... 92,456 hours saved /year... wow!
All that paper savings is also very impressive!
I have mixed feelings about this. For privacy, I tend to activate any thermal label I receive completely using a hair dryer or lighter in order to obscure any printed information. As a side bonus the label comes off the package by means of the heat softening the adhesive making reusing the box easier
Couldn't you just blot out the barcodes on the box when you wanna reuse it?
I wonder what the cumulative weight of all that no-longer used label paper is?
In the case of UPS, that could be a substantial aviation fuel savings over the course of a year.
"Couldn't you just blot out the barcodes on the box when you wanna reuse it?"
UPS already lets you do this, I just use a black marker. The post office won't let you ship something if a bit of a FedEx or UPS label is visible.
We are told to reduce the excess junk in our car trunks to save fuel, and UPS just found 1,338 tons of junk! Well done!