Charity begins at home
Many remanufacturers claim that they got into the business to help the
environment. While this might sound too altruistic it is true that reducing the
number of cartridges that take up the limited landfill spaces is good, and
remanufacturing saves natural resources, as well.
The plastic in each toner cartridge takes three and a half quarts of oil to
produce, and each new inkjet cartridge requires two and a half ounces of oil.
Last year approximately two million cartridges were remanufactured, saving more
than three million gallons of oil. Half a gallon of oil is conserved for each
laser cartridge that is returned for remanufacturing, industry sources say.
Also, reusing cartridges saves energy. It uses significantly less energy to
remanufacture a cartridge than to produce a new one, saving energy and the
natural resources used to produce power. Remanufacturing industries (of all
types of products) save as much energy each year as is produced by five nuclear
plants. Plus, remanufacturing reduces greenhouse gases, which contribute to
climate change, the U.S. Department of Energy said.
It even takes less energy to remanufacture products than it would to recycle
them. Why? Recycling converts the material back into raw material, which is used
to manufacture an original product, while remanufacturing captures a large
percentage of the resources from the original product, including the added value
of the labor, energy and capital.
The average toner cartridge weighs 3-1/2 to 4 pounds, which means that the
total weight of cartridges thrown away each year is equivalent to 67,612 Ford
Explorers or 112,463 Volkswagon Beetles.
That's more than 3 pounds of plastics, the main material in most cartridges.
Unfortunately, it's plastic that's not very recyclable, and in the landfill will
take more than 100 years to biodegrade.
Many consumers are familiar with the number system used to indicate
recyclability of plastics. These numbers range from one, the most recyclable, to
seven, the most difficult to recycle.
On many products, including shampoo and water bottles, the number is stamped
into the plastic on the bottom of the bottle. PET plastic bottles, such as
two-liter soda bottles, are fairly easy to recycle, and are given a rating of
one.
Most laser cartridges are rated a seven because they contain mixed resin
plastics; estimates indicate that only 5 to 10 percent of the plastics in this
category are recycled. In addition, the toner residue can seldom be completely
separated from the cartridge's plastic, contaminating the plastic and making the
cartridges even less likely to be recycled.
A better choice?
Here's where remanufacturing comes in. Remanufacturing is the best way to
save products from the landfill. "Although recycling of toner cartridges
does have a number of benefits, remanufacturing is a superior choice, both
environmentally and economically. In most cases, recycling of plastics has not
proven to be economically viable," said a report facilitated by the U.S.
Department of Energy Office of Industrial Technologies.
Toner cartridges are particularly difficult to recycle because they are
composed of several different types of plastics and must be completely
dismantled and sorted. In addition, the cartridges are dirty, dusted with toner
and contain non-plastic parts, which require disposal, the report noted.
"Remanufacturing, on the other hand, calls for cartridges to be cleaned,
inspected and refilled, reusing the majority of the original plastic parts. For
every cartridge that is remanufactured, over a pound of plastics is withheld
from the waste stream."
The Sierra Club, a well-known environmental group, advocates
"Sustainable Consumption," maintaining a level of natural resource use
and consumerism that can be maintained by the resources available. In an October
2000 report, the Sierra Club's Consumption task force encourages people to
"think about the environmental impacts of their consumption choices"
and to "make thoughtful choices as consumers."
Choosing remanufactured products is one way to reduce the environmental
impact of printer cartridges, while getting a high-quality product and saving
you and your business money.
"Although recycling of toner cartridges does have a number of benefits,
remanufacturing is a superior choice, both environmentally and economically. In
most cases, recycling of plastics has not proven to be economically
viable."
- Reprinted with permission from Recharger
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