Free software aims to end wasteful printing

US printing software vendor GreenPrint has this week launched a free downloadable version of its paper saving software package for home users and non-profit organisations.

The company said that if the free GreenPrint World edition was deployed widely it has the potential to save 100m trees and cut carbon emissions by 300m tons a year globally.

GreenPrint's software works by identifying and removing typically unnecessary content on documents sent to printers, such as pages with just urls, banner ads, logos or legal jargon. It also allows users to identify and remove unwanted material from a document with a single click, and provides them with a report quantifying their ecological and cost savings.

The company estimates that the functionality saves the average user over $90 and 1,400 wasted pages per year.

"Our goal is nothing short of ending wasteful printing worldwide," said CEO Hayden Hamilton, "We believe that GreenPrint World provides the opportunity to do exactly that. It gives home users everywhere the ability to eliminate waste which helps the environment as well as their wallets."

The World Edition includes advertising and boasts fewer features than the licensed versions such as the Enterprise edition, which provides detailed information on paper saved across the entire company.