Ink Cartridge: Refilling And Recycling Facts

INK CARTRIDGE REFILLING AND RECYCLING FACTS Printing is a common feature today in all businesses and in 73% households. The heart of the printer pumping the ink is the ink cartridge. But have you ever considered the environmental impact it does when we dispose it off? 73% CARTRIDGE DISPOSING STATISTICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Cartridges are not biodegradable and when dumped in landfills can become corrosive. The ink and toner leftover in the cartridges contain hazardous chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOC) that can contaminate the environment. The average toner cartridge weight 3-1/2 to 4 pounds, which means that the total weight of cartridges thrown away each year is equivalent to 57,612 Ford Explorers or 112,463 Volkswagen Beetles! The average toner cartridge is composed of 40 percent plastic, 40 percent metal and smaller amounts of rubber, paper, foam 40% 40% and toner. Each year over 350 million cartridges are thrown out. Each year some 500 million empty or used cartridges end up going to landfill. A cartridge in landfill will take over 1000 years to biodegrade. To manufacture an original toner cartridge will have taken some 3.5 litres of oil. - 3.5 litres In 2012 500 million Laser Cartridges and 1.8 billion ink cartridges were dumped in the USA alone. With materials from printer cartridges not being biodegradable, the surrounding ecosystem, both flora and fauna, will not have a future. Water can also become contaminated by the ink cartridges and also poison the soil, effectively destroying the ecosystem for generations To save the environment and to save cost start recycling ink cartridges or use refillable ink cartridges. Benefits of Recycling Ink cartridges Saves Energy: Approximately three quarts of oil are burned in the production of a single new toner cartridge. A used cartridge can be remanufactured up to four times, depending on type and Saves Money: Recycled cartridges are from 30 to 60 percent less expensive on a cost per copy basis. condition, saving up to three quarts of fuel each time. Minimise waste with less Carbon footprint: Recycling 100,000 cartridges saves 9,599 kilograms of aluminium, 1 million litres of oil and 40 tons of plastic. Cartridge remanufacturing process saves approximately 2.5kg of CO2 per cartridge compared to the production of a new cartridge. • Creates jobs in local market: Purchasing remanufactured toner and inkjet cartridges and recycling the empties are two ways to create jobs and strengthen the local economy. Saves the Earth: ● Minimises Green House Gas Emission: It conserves our natural resources such as timber, water, oil/petroleum and minerals It decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change. because it reduces the need for raw materials The refilling/ recycling Process The DIY approach Save the world, save your money, help to give your future generations a better Earth. Don't Landfill Go for Ink Cartridge Refill. You can buy a refill kit at home to reuse your empty inkjet cartridge or laser toner cartridge. Professional Help If manual labour is not your choice you can choose to drop the cartridge to a nearby cartridge refill shop or call them up to take away the cartridges and refill with a small cost. Sources http://www.preton.com/pdf/PretonSaver_envi_whitePaperFinal_1403010.pdf http://globalwarmingisreal.com/2012/07/12/what-effect-does-ink-cartridge-waste-have-on-the-environment/ http://www.itp-empties.com/environment/environment.aspx http://www.informinc.org/fact_CWPtoner.php http://www.thegreenbough.com/Docs/TGB-Recycling-Facts.pdf http://www.mrcartridge.ca/eco-facts-laser-printers-inkjet-printers-cartridges.html