Concern for the environment is having a major impact on office working habits according to research conducted by Toshiba Tec. It reveals that 57% of office workers often or always decide not to print out documents out of concern for the environment. The online survey of over 800 British office workers also revealed that over 1 in 4 (27%) would be more likely to print out documents if printing was carbon-free.

The research suggests that UK businesses face a particular challenge in balancing the environmental concerns of their workers with the fact that many (25%) still prefer to commit business documents and emails to paper, rather than reading them on screen.

Of those office workers who ever print at work, nearly 1 in 2 (48%) regularly print out important emails while 38% print out maps and directions - despite the growing use of mobile devices to access email on the move and GPS-enabled smartphones. Other studies have suggested that workers read faster and retain more information from a printed sheet of paper compared to reading directly from a computer screen.

Toshiba's research suggests that, as long as workers express a desire to print out important office documents, businesses should ensure that office printing is as environmentally-friendly as possible - requiring plans that go beyond merely recycling waste paper and consumables or simply switching printers off over night.

"Office workers want to print out important documents - yet are sufficiently worried about the environmental impact of printing, that they are compromising their effectiveness at work," noted Steve Hewson, Marketing Director of Toshiba Tec.