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Cut greenhouse gas emissions, solid waste, toxic pollution, and save 20 to 60 percent in replacement costs by choosing ink cartridge refills. Remanufactured toner cartridges can be used in copiers, printers, and fax machines and are a great way to green your office, church, or school.

How to choose remanufactured cartridges

DIY refills

If you’ve got a little spare time and can find a kit for refilling your printer cartridge, you’ll be able to save money by doing it yourself. Done right, you may be able to reuse the same cartridge dozens of times! But be aware that this method can be messy. Here are a couple of guides you can try:

• eHow - How to Refill an Inkjet Cartridge
• Ezine @rticles - How to Refill a Cartridge
• wikiHow - How to Refill and Reuse a Printer Cartridge
• Refill Toner UK - How to

To make the job just a little easier, remember:

• Don’t let it get entirely empty: Generally, it’s best to refill your cartridge before it gets completely drained of ink because printing without ink will wear out the print head quickly. So, when it gets to about 25 percent remaining, it’s time for a refill.
• Protect packaging: Keep refill kits and new cartridges sealed as much as possible until you’re ready to use them to lengthen the shelf life of the product.

Purchase remanufactured cartridges

Old-school remanufactured toner cartridges may have had performance issues, but today’s versions perform as well or better than new cartridges. They’re rigorously tested and usually come with some sort of warranty, so rest assured that you won’t live to regret this green choice.

And remember, although some manufacturers may encourage the use of their branded cartridges, you’re allowed to use any brand you like without voiding your warranty. But be choosy. Select a company with a good reputation for providing quality remanufactured cartridges and refills. Some factors to consider include:

• Company’s age: The amount of time the company has been remanufacturing should be at least one year and 200 cartridges per month.
• Truly re-manufactured: Are the cartridges truly remanufactured (disassembled, parts replaced when necessary, cleaned, filled, and then reassembled)?
• Product testing: Is testing conducted on each cartridge? If so, it should come with a test page.
• Warranty: Does the cartridge come with a warranty which covers the part and any damage done to your printer (when using the cartridge) as well?
• Free samples: If you’re purchasing large quantities, you may wish to request samples of their cartridges to test for quality.

If you'd like a little guidance in choosing a remanufacturing company, check out the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines Supplier Database (choose “Toner Cartridges” under “Product” and then filter by state in the option section).

Cartridge care tips

Regardless of whether you do your own refills or buy them from a remanufacturer, you'll want to properly care for your cartridges so that they perform well and last a long time.

1. Maintain equipment: Keep your print equipment (fax machine, copier, printer) clean and follow manufacturers instructions for proper maintenance. This’ll help keep your cartridges in good working order and lasting longer.
2. Avoid premature opening: Keep cartridges sealed in their packages until just before you need them. They should have a shelf life of two to three years if unopened.
3. Fingers off: Make sure you never touch a cartridge’s drum surface—both old and new. Carefully remove the new cartridge and place directly in the printer and then put the old cartridge in the foil bag to avoid damaging it. This way it’ll be in better shape for remanufacturing.

Find it! Remanufactured cartridges and refill kits

Using refilled toner cartridges helps you go green because…

• They require fewer new natural resources to manufacture.
• They reduce solid waste as well as air and water pollution.
• They require less energy to produce and therefore reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The average toner cartridge contains 40 percent plastic, 40 percent metal, and small portions of rubber, paper, foam, and toner. Of these components, 97 percent is recyclable. By drastically cutting the need for virgin natural resources, remanufactured cartridges save tremendous amounts of new materials (5 to 9 pounds saved for every 1 pound of new materials used).[1] Yet, more than 300 million cartridges from copiers and printers end up in the trash worldwide every year, close to 100 million in the US alone. This adds up to more than 1.7 million tons of waste annually, with components that take 450 years to decompose.[2]

Remanufacturing a printer cartridge involves disassembly, inspection, replacement of worn parts, reassembly and toner replacement—a process that has improved significantly in the last 20 years.[3] The toner remanufacturing industry is comprised of 5,000 companies in the US, employing 35,000 people. By reconditioning and refilling old cartridges, each remanufacturer saves the equivalent of 264 gallons of oil and 845 pounds of solid waste each month.[4]

Remanufactured cartridges come 30 to 50 percent cheaper than new ones, and often contain 20 percent more toner, so they make for very economical green purchases.[5] In fact, 70 percent of the toner cartridges purchased by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts government in 2005 were remanufactured, saving them over $400,000.[6]

Related health issues

Petroleum-based inks and toners contain solvents that emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which have been linked to several human health problems. Choosing agri-based inks such as those made with soy can reduce these negative effects.

Glossary

• volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Organic solvents that easily evaporate into the air. VOCs are emitted by thousands of products, including paints, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, and may cause immediate and long-term health problems. VOCs are also considered a possible carcinogen, and can create ground-level ozone, the main component of smog.

External links

• Department of General Services, California - Office Machines - Toner and Inkjet Cartridges: Laws and Guidelines: If you need ideas on how to set up your own company toner cartridge purchasing policy, check out this website.
• US Environmental Protection Agency - Buy-Recycled Series: Nonpaper office products