Benefits of Recycled Toner Cartridges
Every year, more than 375 million empty toner and ink cartridges are discarded in the world, with many of them ending up in landfills or incinerators. This equals the disposal of over one million cartridges per day or 11 cartridges per second. Placed end-to-end, the discarded cartridges would circle the earth more than three times. Toner and ink cartridges are made of engineering grade polymer that decomposes very slowly, and can remain in a landfill for as much as 1,000 years. In addition, ink can leak into the surrounding environment, causing pollution.
Environmental Impact
Recycling toner cartridges saves approximately 2.5 kg of CO2 for each toner cartridge that is recycled by reducing the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere during the manufacture of new toner cartridges. In addition, approximately 75 percent of the waste found in landfills is recyclable, yet only 30 percent is actually recycled. The impact on cartridges in landfills is not the only impact used toner cartridges have on the environment when they are not recycled. It takes approximately three quarts of oil to create a new toner cartridge, while a used cartridge can be re-manufactured up to four times, depending on the type and condition.
Cost Savings
A recycled toner cartridge saves between 30 and 60 percent per copy over new cartridges. In King, Washington, a long-term contract to use re-manufactured toner cartridges as opposed to new cartridges saved the city $350,000. Re-manufactured cartridges are often priced at a third of the cost of a new cartridge, adding to the savings realized by using recycled cartridges rather than new ones.
In addition to the reduction of the impact on the environment, recycling toner and ink cartridges is also creating jobs in many areas of the country. By choosing recycled toner cartridges, a company not only improves their bottom line by saving money on the purchase of new cartridges, but also creates a greener environment for their employees and for future generations. In addition, purchasing recycled toner cartridges helps create jobs in many areas of the country, some of which were hard hit by the recession.