Toner Recycling - The Disposable Society

When I received my shiny new Lexmark laser printer - toner recycling was instantly brought to my attention for a variety of reasons. Firstly there was the inclusion of some nice toner recycling bags with pictures of trees and forests all over them, secondly barely two weeks later my toner cartridge had run out of ink.

Now I was quite shocked about this - I don't print a lot and had expected a laser printer to cut my printing costs slightly and reduce the aggravation of replacing toner cartridges all the time. The reason I discovered was that the cartridges supplied with my laser printer - where (get this) starter cartridges - basically they have produced sealed toner cartridges and put a tiny proportion of ink inside them. So they were now finished and needed to be recycled in their eco-friendly schemes. The environmental impact of producing these cartridges had been already incurred - approximately 2 litres of oil per cartridge but because they had virtually no ink in them that had been pretty much wasted.

If you buy a new laser printer beware you may have the same 'starter cartridges' inside your printer. I am afraid I was not very impressed with this - I mean why not just charge a little more for the printer and fill the toner cartridges up properly so they don't need to be recycled virtually immediately.

Don't get me wrong - when a cartridge reaches the end of it's useful life then toner recycling is the sensible option but the printer manufacturers are deliberately reducing the life span of these cartridges simply to make more money (and basically completely ignoring the environmental costs).

A laser toner cartridge could easily be used several times over if the ink could be refilled but the manufacturers took away the refill hole on most and replaced with a toner recycling bag. When companies like Tonertop up below made kits to refill the cartridges anyway - some manufacturers started putting computer chips which expired after so many prints (fortunately these can also be replaced). This is basically the same as putting a chip in your car so it won't work after 20,000 miles so you have to buy a new one !

The issue shows how so many big companies pay lip service to environmental issues and their priorities certainly don't lie in this area. Perhaps we can't blame them after all they are in business to make money not save the environment. It perhaps does lie with us the consumer to buck this trend - please check out how easy it is to reuse your toner cartridges by refilling them with ink before you even need toner recycling.

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toner recycling

Joe Simpson

Recycling Ink and Toner Cartridges

Recycling has taken many forms, as the "go green" movement has evolved. Business owners are now taking recycling and conservation seriously, as their ecological conscience guides them.

One of the newest and cost-productive means of recycling is that of ink and toner cartridges. This has become a viable means of waste management and resource efficiency. Ink cartridge manufacturers are guiding consumers and businesses, in choosing cartridges that will impact waste reduction efforts.

Cartridges are labeled, so that recommended guidelines can be followed. Products labeled as NZ licensed (environmental choice) are highly recommended. EMS labels indicate products that do not equate with maximized impact reduction, and should be avoided. Look for performance guarantees, when purchasing recycled or re-manufactured cartridges; or purchase new cartridges, with recycled contents.

One of the best aspects of recycling ink cartridges is that it is virtually cost-free. Businesses can find recyclers to take their used cartridges, and pay for the shipping. Some of these recycling companies will even pay the business for their waste (check with your local Office Max store). This, of course, is a cost-savings, rather than throwing away cartridges, and then buying new ones. Even better, it is oftentimes cheaper to buy the recycled cartridges back, than to buy a new one. Recycled cartridges have become increasingly less expensive than new ones. The net effect of all of this is that the more ink cartridges are recycled, the cheaper they become, and the more viable the cartridge recycling market becomes. It is a revolving cycle, with many benefits. There are other cost-saving aspects to maximizing resource efficiency, when it comes to ink cartridges. Reducing printing demands, by using electronic means, and using smaller fonts, for space efficiency, are two more options. As fewer cartridges are purchased and used, the fewer products need to be recycled or re-manufactured.

The impact of recycling ink cartridges, on our environment, is monumental. It isn't simply the ink that is being recycled. Plastic and metal waste are being diverted from our landfills. When the plastic casings of the cartridges begin to decompose, poisonous toxins are seeping into our soil and water. Reducing cartridge manufacturing lowers net energy use, which ultimately impacts climate change. Further, reducing the amount of plastic products being used reduces the amount of oil that is consumed. Plastic cannot be manufactured, without oil. Eventually, greenhouse gases are affected, with respect to global climate change.

Recycling ink cartridges is really quite simple and cost-free. Finding a recycling company to take cartridges is not always a necessity either. It is quite simple to refill empty cartridges; and they can be taken into most office supply stores, for refills.

In conclusion, if I were going to give each aspect of recycling cartridges, as a viable conservation alternative, it be as follows, with a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being most prohibitive and 5 being most beneficial):

When it comes to cost to the business, it would be nonsensical to give it anything lower than a 5. If there is a cost anywhere, I can't see it. Again, when it comes to cost-savings, I would have to give recycling cartridges a 5; because it is impossible not to save money, with this type of recycling. When it comes to ease of implementation, I would give a score of 4. There is a small amount of legwork to be done, simply to assess the best method of recycling cartridges, whether it is having them shipped out and then buying them back, or refilling the cartridges themselves. The impact that this type of recycling has, on the environment, requires a score of 5. The impact is so huge, and there is so little that needs to be done, to achieve it.

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Recycling Your Oki Toner

How much thought have you given to what you are doing to help save the environment? This is a very important concern since the amount of waste piling up and pollution the air is having a very negative effect on our overall health and wellbeing. So, you should start to think of new and innovative ways that you could recycle a greater amount of the things that you use. To start, you could engage in toner cartridge recycling. This is something that is very easy to do if you are someone who does lots of printing, and you also will feel good about the fact that you are doing your part to help save the environment whenever you turn in your cartridges to the recycling company.

Recycling your toner only requires a few simple steps. To start, you just have to make sure that you have saved up an adequate amount of toner before you turn it in to be recycled. This means that you should keep your toner in a safe place so that you will be able to easily remember where you have put it when it is time for you to turn it in. If you don't do all that much printing and don't feel like waiting until you've saved a sufficient amount, you could also ask some of your friends to give you some toner that you could recycle for them.

It's important to note that when you are recycling your cartridges, you don't even have to necessarily leave your home. Toner cartridge recycling is also something that you can do by using the Internet. If you find an online program, then you can just ship your used cartridges out to the center. You won't have to worry about making time in your schedule to do this type of recycling, which is definitely a benefit if you are someone who already leads a rather hectic schedule throughout the week.

Once you have saved up enough of your Oki toner to be sent in, you need to fill out a short form with the information about your cartridges. Make sure to write clearly and with precision; you won't want a discrepancy to prevent your toner from being recycled. After you have filled out this form, then you will receive some shipping tags to use with your used cartridges. You don't have to do anything but these easy steps, which means that you have absolutely no excuse to avoid recycling your toner if you have not done so already.

Make sure to tell everyone in your life about your important decision to start recycling your toner. It is very important to let everyone know about this just so that they can start recycling some of their own goods. They might be inspired to give you some of the cartridges that they use when they are at home. If you tell your boss about these recycling programs, you could also do some toner recycling when you are at work.

You should always recycle your Oki toner [http://www.johnatan.net/printer-supplies/our-business-model-for-our-oki-toner-cartridge-recycling-program/] if at all possible. Consult Johnatan in order to find out more information about toner cartridge recycling [http://www.johnatan.net] and how you can get involved.

Learn About Recycling Office Supplies With Toner Resources

Do you feel that the environmental impact of your business or a company that you work for is excessive? If you have not thought about the ways that your business or the business you work for is affect our global environment, I urge you to take a look at what is going on. Though many people have not come around to this kind of approach, it is nonetheless an important thing that people have been paying attention to in recent years. This is a concern that has become more and more common in various areas of our culture as the attitude of our culture expands to a global sense. A consumer based culture is one that is filled with lots of opportunity, but it is also riddled with problematic repercussions, many of which we have yet to comprehend in any real way..

The implications of having a widespread, disposable global culture is one that will not last very long with the habits that have been developed. So many of the materials used in basic business and their day to day operations has vast ecological impacts that will be seen for many decades to come. In fact, many of the materials used daily in basic business are actually highly toxic to humans and biological life. And one example of this kind of toxic material that we use daily are the printing materials that we have become heavily reliant on in order to conduct business and document everything going on within it.

Plenty of options are out there when it comes to a more conscientious approach to using and disposing of your office supplies, some of which are toxic or contain highly toxic materials within them, like printer cartridges filled with residual inks. So, if you are searching for HP toner supplies, for example, you probably have older cartridges and materials that need to be disposed. Most people do not think much of this and simply cast them off into the nearest wastebasket to be transported to the municipal dump or landfill. When this happens, the toxic properties within these materials eventually leaks out and into the water table, contaminating ground water beyond human and biological consumption.

If this sounds like something that you would like to avoid doing, there are toner resources that you can consult in order to make a change in your company or the company you work for. Many retailers and various brands actually have repositories where you can take or ship your excess materials that are no longer of any use to you or your business. This is only one option to consider when trying to reduce your ecological impact. There are so many other ways to make sure that you are recycling and doing your part to keep this world in working order and not harmful to its inhabitants. Toner resources are a great option for anyone seeking to learn more about this, so check out some of the various areas of information on the subject when you have a moment.

When you are looking for replacement office materials, like HP toner supplies for example, make sure you are consulting toner resources to dispose of your excess products appropriately.

Think Globally About Ink and Toner Recycling

Like anything else worthwhile, recycling is a habit that we must incorporate in our daily lives. It is very easy to simply throw items away when that pesky recycling bin isn't conveniently located close to our desk. We have to consciously cultivate a habit of recycling. Many find that easier to do when they understand how their actions affect the "Big Picture" as well as their own wallets. Here are some facts about recycling ink and toner cartridges that may surprise you.

o There are about a billion toner and ink jet cartridges shipped through the world in a year's time.
o One laser toner cartridge takes approximately one gallon of oil to produce
o Each laser cartridge puts over two pounds of plastic in a landfill.
o Ink and toner cartridges put on a landfill today will still be here 450 years from now. In other words, if the pilgrim had a printer cartridge when they came over on the Mayflower, that cartridge would still be around today.
o 70% of users throw away their cartridges
o Over 300 million ink and toner cartridges are thrown away in the United States each year. That is about one for every man, woman, and child in the United States.
o Remanufacturing toner cartridges can save over 11 million gallons of oil per year.
o Recycling ink and toner cartridges can keep over 120 million tons of waste out of landfills each year.
o Buying a remanufactured ink or toner cartridge is usually 30% to 50% less than buying an OEM or name brand cartridge. That's significant considering that many OEM can cost upward of $30.
o With today's technology, remanufactured ink and toner cartridges deliver the same quality as OEM cartridges. There have even been instances of superior quality and page yield.
o Refillers and name brand manufacturers know that cartridges can be refilled and restored at a much lower cost than it took to originally produce them. That is why they offer credit for cartridges returned and include prepaid postage envelopes so you can send the cartridge back to them.

So not only is recycling your ink or toner good for the environment, it is good for your finances. Recycling ink and toner just makes sense. Don't throw that cartridge away. Set it aside for your next trip to town and stop by your local ink and toner refill specialists and see what credit you can get. You will also be surprised to learn how much less it is to use a remanufactured cartridge for your printer. Most big box stores will offer credit as well. If nothing else, use the postage paid envelope that is in the box. Its the right thing to do.

Jason Jones reminds you that one thing that is essential for choosing the right printer for you or your business is knowing the page yield of its cartridge. This is knowledge you need to determine cost and performance. Visit http://www.inkandtonerinfo.com for a Free Ink and Toner Page Yield Guide. You'll be glad you did!