Currency counterfeiters use color photocopiers to produce fake notes. This makes the process of currency production expensive for governments, as it forces them to invest in technologies that prevent duplication currencies. Some governments change their notes frequently to curb counterfeiting and this affects the taxpayers who bear the additional currency production costs.
Quality copy machines are expensive and the expense is compounded if an organization needs a number of them. The cost of buying and servicing a copier depends on factors such as size, brand, model, durability and availability of spare parts. Color copy machines sell for between $100 and $3,000 and require frequent hardware and software servicing, which must be done by professionals to maximize their performance.
In an era when paper reduction measures are gaining popularity; many companies are attempting to limit their use of paper and devising innovative ways to cut down photocopier and fax paper use. According to the American Forest and Paper Association, paper consumption rose from 1.7 million tons in 1982 to 4.6 million tons in 1997. Environmentalists are advocating for eco-friendly and paperless electronic communication such as e-mails and e-books
The U.S. paper industry is the second largest industrial water consumer and the third in industrial energy consumption. This puts pressure on the natural resources, as the large-scale use of chemicals such as chlorine in the paper production process damages the environment. According to United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), waste paper in a landfill produces greenhouse gases such methane, which traps heat 21 times more than carbon dioxide.