Toshiba to add recyclable toner technology to more printers
Recycling technology that promises to eradicate the problem of waste toner is to be rolled out across Toshiba’s portfolio
Jun
2007Printing giant Toshiba has confirmed it is keen to expand its
recyclable toner technology right across its portfolio in a move it
hopes will eradicate the hassle and environmental problems posed by
disposing of waste toner.The company said it plans to introduce its 100
percent toner recycling technology to four more of its mono
multi-functional printers (MFPs) next year, taking to 11 the number of
models available with the new technology.”A lot of our customers,
particularly in the corporate market where environmental concerns are
so prevalent, see it as an important feature and we want to make it
standard on all our mono machines over time,” said Jamie Mackenzie,
Product Manager at Toshiba. “It will take a bit longer to introduce it
to colour machines as it needs a different mechanical approach, but
ultimately we aim to introduce it there too.”
The system works
by collecting waste toner that falls off the page and feeding it back
into new toner, where an electronic charge process ensures it attaches
itself to the new toner so it can be re-used.Mackenzie said that this
process could be undertaken with “no detriment to print quality”, and
not only removed the need to collect and dispose of the waste toner,
but also ensured that toner cartridges last longer as none of the
substance is going to waste. “You get a percentage more printing from
the same amount of toner,” he said.The toner recycling mechanism is
part of a wider strategy at Toshiba to limit the environmental impact
of its products, according to Mackenzie, which has also seen it invest
heavily in developing document management software solutions that help
reduce the need for printing and power-saving mechanisms that enhance
its products’ energy efficiency.