Walgreens to offer cartridge refills
Drugstore chain Walgreens will soon launch a service at 1,500 of its more than 5,000 stores that will let users refill inkjet cartridges in 10 to 15 minutes, according to Gannett News Service.
Office-supply stores OfficeMax and Office Depot are testing similar systems.
The refilling services cost $12 to $15, about half as much as buying a replacement cartridge.
That’s still about twice the cost of refilling a cartridge yourself, but store refills are guaranteed and quality tends to be higher.
But printer makers defend their higher prices, saying the ink that goes into cartridges is as technologically advanced as the printers.
“Refillers are providing you with used cartridges with print heads that were not designed for multiple uses and with ink that is not optimized for use with the printer,” Lexmark spokesman Tim Fitzpatrick said.