Toner Cartridge Recycling
Toner cartridge recycling, also known as printer cartridge recycling, is a process where empty cartridges are collected after they are all used up and resold by a third party as remanufactured. The steps involved in remanufacturing cartridges vary from one manufacturer to another but typically involve sorting, methods to ensure that quality control is adequate and cleaning and refill toner to the cartridge container. The process of recycling both print and toner cartridges is environmentally friendly since it is estimated that over 700,000,000 empty cartridges are thrown away each and every year in the United States alone and it can take more than 10 years for a single one to decompose.
The process begins with sorting the cartridges once they arrive at the supply store. Cartridges that are damaged are thrown away, while those that can be refilled are saved. The ones that meet quality control standards are cleaned and refilled. The toner cartridge ink quality must be tested before the ink leaves the facility to ensure that it is comparable to the quality users expect from the manufacturer of the printer themselves.
The impact on the environment is the primary benefit of the process. It cuts costs, helps conserve the Earth’s natural resources and significantly reduces the amount of waste dumped in landfills. Recycling the materials is cheaper than purchasing new ones and approximately 97% of the parts used in remanufacturing cartridges are recycled.
Some supply companies offer customers the option to participate in cartridge recycling programs that provide a small amount of money in exchange for recycling the cartridges. Others offer to give store credit for participating as an alternative. These stores use the same processes and procedures that other third-party manufacturers use, but have a better chance of getting the recycled cartridges since they offer an incentive to consumers.
The primary issue that comes up with using a remanufactured toner cartridge is that some people believe that the remanufactured cartridges are not as good as the retail ones and don’t produce the same quality results that they expect. Third party companies have stated on numerous occasions that this is not the case and that the cartridges are tested against the original equipment manufacturer cartridges to verify they are similar.
Some printer users have worried in the past about voiding their warranty by using third-party cartridges. There is legislation to prevent using recycled ink cartridges as a reason for the warranty to be voided.
