XEROX MANAGED PRINT SERVICES

Xerox's managed print services programme represents one of the longest-running circular business models in the technology sector, operational since the 1960s. Under this model, Xerox retains ownership of printing equipment and provides printing as a service — customers pay per page rather than purchasing machines. This product-service system incentivises Xerox to design for maximum durability, ease of maintenance, and component reuse. Xerox recovers over 2 million machines annually through take-back programmes, achieving a 99.5% landfill-free rate for returned equipment. Machines are inspected, refurbished, and redeployed or disassembled for component harvesting. The programme's closed-loop supply chain has been extensively documented in academic literature as a pioneering example of how service-based business models drive circular design decisions — from modular architecture enabling rapid part replacement to standardised components across product generations.