Like the wise man once said, THINK before you INK!

We all know printer cartridge recycling is great for the environment, but did you know that it could be great for your wallet too? Anyone who uses printer cartridges can make money from recycling them – from massive corporations all the way down to small households with a single home printer.

The principle is the same as recycling bottles and cans at the grocery store – you turn in used cartridges and they hand you cash! The only difference is that you’ll need to find recycling centers that specialize in used printer ink/toner cartridges since they have the proper equipment needed to extract all of the properties that make up the cartridges.

Some recycling centers accept piece by piece whereas other centers only accept in bulk. If you want to raise money for charities, many nonprofit companies do work with recycling centers making this a perfect way to donate money.

Before you can determine how much money you’ll make varies depending on the condition and the type of printer cartridge. It’s important to inspect the cartridges before you turn them in for recycling. You could end up without any money back or worst case scenario, some remanufacturing centers may charge a penalty for every cartridge that they consider too damaged to reuse.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, be sure that your used cartridge isn’t cracked and to wrap it up in bubble wrap or newspaper before placing it in a box. The packages you purchase your printer cartridges in include directions on repackaging them properly.

Having a cracked cartridge defeats the whole purpose of recycling to make those extra bucks!

After your cartridges are inspected, wrapped up properly and ready to recycle, you can then choose a company that accepts your cartridge type and request that they send you a recycling package designed for ink/toner cartridges.

Most recycling centers will send you a postage-paid, self-addressed, protective package to help you securely mail your used cartridge to them. There are very few centers that will require a shipping fee if you’re sending in bulk amount but more often than not, recycling centers will either pre-pay your shipping or else send someone to come and pick it up.

Most places typically accept used cartridges for between $1 USD to $4 USD for each approved cartridge. It’s also good to note that recycling centers usually pay more for toner cartridges than they do for inkjet cartridges.

Recently, with a bigger realization of how important recycling cartridges can be to our environment, many people have realized the goldmine laying within ink/toner cartridges and have made businesses out of it, paying up to $20 USD for each accepted cartridge!

Now that you have the know-how of recycling your printer cartridges – how much money will you get back?

When we’re talking printer cartridge recycling, there are several terms are often used, but seldom understood. Much of the time, these terms are confused for each other, and sometimes the cartridge recycling layperson is left just plain confused.

Printer cartridge recycling definitions

Recycled Cartridges: These are any cartridges that are considered recycled, meaning some or all of their parts come from what would have been waste. The cartridges have to made of at least 20%-30% recycled materials to fall into this category.

Cartridge Recycling Process: The cartridge recycling process includes; breaking down damaged cartridges, repairing won cartridges, refilling with new ink, and quality testing before the cartridge is resold.

Refurbished/reused/remanufactured: These terms can be used interchangeably to describe cartridges that have gone through the recycling process and are ready to be, or already have been, resold.

Refilled Cartridges: These cartridges are not considered “recycled” because they are not broken down, and they have had no parts replaced. They are just used cartridges that have been refilled with ink or toner. You can buy ink refilling kits and refill your cartridges at home, or you can take them to a shop to be refilled. It’s important to remember that refilling cartridges won’t do anything for routine wear and tear damage to your cartridge.

Virgin Cartridges: These resources hogs are terrible for the environment. They are brand new cartridges made up of 0% recycled material. The best thing to do with these cartridges is recycle them when they run out of ink.

Some printer cartridges are made from brand new material, and some are made from recycled material. A cartridge has to be made up of some waste from previously used cartridges to be considered a ‘recycled’ cartridge.

How Printer Cartridge Recycling works:

The journey from used to cartridge to shiny new cartridge is not the same for every one that is recycled, but they follow the same general process.

First, the cartridges arrive at a remanufacturing center and are sorted according to their model and condition, then they are broken down into their base parts.

Cartridge parts that are too damaged or worn are replaced, sometimes by new parts and sometimes by pieces from other cartridges that came in undamaged.

Once the cartridge has been reassembled it’s filled with new ink or toner. Then it’s tested for defects or errors. Any cartridge that is not up to snuff is rejected and goes back through the recycling process.

Finally, the recycled cartridges are labeled sold, both on online and offline. They are usually marked as “remanufactured”, but they can also be called refurbished or reused.

Remanufacturing is used most often, but it isn’t the only way to recycle printer cartridges. If the cartridge is not too damaged, it can be refilled with ink or toner. This can be done at a local specialty printer store, or customers can buy refilling kits and try their hand at it from home.

For eye-opening Cartridge Recycling Stats <- Click on this hyperlink.

The benefits of recycling are widely known, even people that aren’t the environmental type are getting in on it. Printer cartridges are one item that goes above and beyond when recycled. Why? Just take a look at a few facts about printer cartridge recycling.

• Every month 25 million printer cartridges end up in landfills. About 11 cartridges are thrown out every second!
• The plastic in cartridges will take 10 centuries to decompose.
• A single printer cartridge uses over three quarts of oil for plastic materials and production.
• Recycling the cartridges leads to remanufacturing. Remanufacturing keeps over 38,000 tons of plastic and metal from reaching landfills.

When you recycle printer cartridges you are helping to preserve resources on a massive scale. Up to 97% of material from a recycled cartridge can be reused. This can even help lower taxes, since we pay taxes to maintain landfills.

Refilling empty cartridges with new ink or toner is another reuse option. If gently cared for, some cartridges can be refilled up to 15 times. Though, most cartridges end up damaged, and can only be refilled about 6 times. But, think about how waste you’d reduce if you refilled a cartridge 6 times and the recycled it.

Here’s something that deserves your attention- recycling cartridges can help create jobs our current tough economy. Remanufacturing plants employ thousands of people, all over the world!

“Carbon credits are recognised reductions or absorptions of carbon. Credits should be certified and recognised by a certificate owned by the individual or company who has created the greenhouse gas saving. Over time, companies or individuals who create more certificates than they need can sell these to others wanting to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.”[i]

Both commercial and non-profit organisations throughout Australia run carbon credit schemes, where you pay a certain amount, generally between $2.50 and $3.00 per tree needed to offset your emissions, for the company to plant trees on your behalf.

Where the organisation is non-profit, your donation is 100% tax deductible.

The aim of these schemes is to make you ‘carbon neutral’ by planting enough trees to remove the same amount of carbon from the air as you are producing. This will help to reduce global warming.

Read More »»

More and more corporate executives are informing themselves about recycling, carbon footprint and sustainability issues, which is why we’ve developed a series of articles to help you navigate through all the jargon.

Global warming seems to be what everyone is talking about at the moment. Even politicians, who have for so long avoided discussing it, are starting to take a stand as they realise how important this issue is becoming to voters.

In a recent survey of businesses by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 100% of respondents said that they viewed climate change as strategically significant to their organisation in the next five years.[i]

Large corporations are instituting environmentally sound plans, looking at ways to cut their emissions and to ensure they can answer increasingly difficult consumer questions about their commitment to the environment.

It’s not as easy to develop an all-encompassing environmental plan. However, the current focus on this subject is bringing many new options to light, such as carbon offset schemes. These schemes allow you to pay a non-profit company a certain, tax deductible amount (dependent on the size of your carbon footprint) and they will plant trees to offset your emissions.

What is a carbon footprint?

“A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.”

“Carbon footprints represent the effect of human activities on the climate in terms of the quantity of greenhouse gases generated through individual lifestyle choices.

“When you drive your car, take a flight or turn on a light, you produce carbon dioxide emissions that add to global warming.”

Your carbon footprint is made up of two parts: your direct footprint and your indirect footprint.

What is a DIRECT carbon footprint?

Your direct footprint measures emissions from the fossil fuels burned in order to deliver the amount of energy you use (electricity and gas) and to power the transportation (car, bus, train, plane) that you use regularly.

What is an INDIRECT carbon footprint?

Your indirect footprint measures the emissions from everything else – from your garbage through to your business equipment – from their manufacturing through to what it takes for them to eventually degrade.

Why does YOUR carbon footprint matter?

While Climate Change has been a topic of conversation for some time, recent climate-related issues, such as Australia’s drastic water shortage, have made it a subject people can no longer ignore.

More and more, consumers are looking at the ways in which the companies they choose to do business with are affecting the environment. This isn’t a passing fad – it’s a recognition by the general public that something must be done now to combat these environmental issues and that every one of us has a part to play in fixing the planet.

It won’t be long before those businesses who don’t recognise this huge change in public perception begin to feel the economic impacts of not being seen as a ‘green company’.

Stay tuned for additional definitions and clarifications on this new component that needs to be considered within your Printer Fleet Management decisions and deployments.

[i] PriceWaterhouseCoopers, “Carbon Conscious: Survey of executive opinion on climate change in Australia”, December 2006

This is a question that many clients ask. Check out these 3 cases… It’s quite surprising isn’t it? In future posts, we’ll address how you can reduce your carbon footprint when it comes to Printer Fleet Management.

How Big Is Your Carbon Footprint?

What Is Your Carbon Footprint?

Paperless Company Myth Debunked

For more than two decades we have been proclaiming the imminent arrival of ‘a paperless world’ but the fact is, we are no closer to it than we were then. If anything, there are more businesses now than before; therefore, more paper is being used than ever.

The very popular TV Show, ‘The Office’, that’s based on a paper manufacturing company called Dunder Mifflin, pops automatically into my head.

Their motto is: “Limitless Paper for a Paperless World!”

It’s comedic and yet rings true at the same time.

Rumour has it that companies will be losing their filing cabinets by upgrading digitally, people will be saving the earth and paper will be a thing of the past, but how much of this factual?

That’s what we’re here to discuss!

It’s not that some companies are not trying to go paperless because in some countries, the technology needed for going paperless is readily available and even inexpensive.

It’s the simple fact that companies won’t! Read More »»

Are you an Environmental Pirate or Evangelist?

For every ‘Yes’, give yourself 1 point.

What your score means:

1-3:            You’re an Environment Pirate! Your lack of attention to your energy usage is probably costing you hundreds of dollars every year.

4-7:            You have Environmental Amnesia! You know that the environment is important and you try to do the right thing … but sometimes you get so caught up in life that you just forget about it. Check out our tips below to help keep you get back and stay on track.

8-10:            You’re an Environment Evangelist! You are very aware of the environment and the damage that high levels of energy consumption can have – both on the planet and on your wallet!

How to improve your rating AND save money!

So, you’re an Environment Pirate.  Your lack of energy efficiency isn’t only bad for the environment – it’s costing you money! The following table shows how you could be saving hundreds of dollars every year, with next to no time investment, by changing a couple of simple things:

Ask your energy company whether they have a scheme whereby you can invest in renewable energy sources.

How to cure Environmental Amnesia: You’re on the right track. Your energy efficiency levels are okay, but it can be easy to forget some of the things that you know you should be doing! Here are a few tips to help you stay on track:

• Put signs above light switches reminding you to turn them off when you leave the room.
• Got kids? Why not make washing up by hand and hanging out clothes part of their weekly chores?
• Buy an air conditioner with a timer so that you can set it to turn off automatically just before you go to bed.
• Buy a weekly bus / train / public transport ticket – you’re less likely to be tempted to drive to work if you’ve already paid for your ticket.

Environment Evangelists: Rejoice! It’s the environment evangelists of the world who will help to ensure there is a planet here for all of us. Even so, here are some suggestions of things you can do:

• If you haven’t already, consider joining a carbon offset scheme where non-profit organisations charge you a small amount to plant trees on your behalf in order to offset your carbon emissions.

• Don’t keep what you’re doing to yourself – share it with others and inspire more people to become environment evangelists! Write an article on the things you’ve done that other people could replicate. Send it to your clients and suppliers. You could also submit it to trade or industry association publications. Then, use your environmental initiatives to inspire others by organising a promotional contest.

*            Savings are approximations based on a three bedroom house and using http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/howmuch.html and http://www.uic.com.au/nip37.htm to calculate approximate energy usage and price, respectively.