WHY IT PAYS TO MAKE YOUR INK GREENER

[Anonymous]

Why it pays to make your ink greener
REMEMBER your mother telling you that “it’s what’s inside that counts”, well she was right.While many businesses will have unfortunately experienced their printer failing to produce top-quality documents, many will incorrectly attribute this letdown to an empty cartridge rather than a defective internal mechanism, resulting in wasted ink, time and money. Bottom line – it’s what’s inside your printer that determines the quality of the output print, and the heart of any laser toner cartridge is the OPC (Organic Photo Conductive) drum.What might initially sound like dull technical jargon could be costing Scots firms thousands in financial and environmental wastage over the course of a year. Significantly, all of which could be easily be prevented by making a few simple changes with regards to procurement practices.Gaining substantial momentum in the mid 80s, the remanufactured toner cartridge industry has evolved from a predominately “drill and fill” production, where old cartridges were merely refilled with toner, into an environmentally conscious, economical option. Used cartridges that undergo the remanufacturing process are first disassembled and inspected; worn or defective parts are replaced, and the cartridge is cleaned, refilled, and reassembled using a new high-quality OPC drum to construct a long life cartridge that stays sharp until the very last drop.Though the typical toner cartridge is a mere two kilos in weight, the plastic it’s made from takes at least 1000 years to decompose. Fortunately, approximately 97 per cent of remanufactured cartridge components can be recycled and reused. This considered, adopting reduce, reuse and recycle programmes like GreenAgenda, which also offers users a free collection service, not only enables a company to safely and legally dispose of waste, but also reduces the amount of waste produced and complies with EC legislation.Although there is a perception that green products are more expensive than conventional alternatives, by using environmentally friendly products like remanufactured printer cartridges, companies can benefit from 30-60 per cent savings derived from lower purchasing costs, conserved energy and guaranteed high quality print documents every time. It’s equally important to remember that as markets change, the availability of green products will increase and prices will fall.Only when companies are willing to take environmental elements into consideration can they truly create a safer, healthier and more prosperous workplace, simultaneously narrowing the recycling gap by simply buying products made from remanufactured materials. 

[Author]

September 1, 2006 at 11:27 AM