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How does a printer cartridge get recycled
The idea of recycling printer cartridges and toner is becoming more and more popular as awareness about it grows. As more people realize the environmental impact of their actions, many are turning to recycling in increasing numbers.
There are hundreds of millions of printers in the US today, and many more hundreds of millions of toners, or ink cartridges. Each printer will go through at least a few a year with light use, those who print much more will go through many hundreds.
Printer cartridges and toners are now classified as hazardous waste. They are made of industrial chemicals and take a very long time to degrade. Often polluting the surrounding area when they do. Many responsible toner retailers like Quikship offer recycling services as part of their business model. Even offering to pay the shipping for customers willing to recycle their consumables.
But what happens once the cartridge has been sent for recycling?
To start with they are sorted into type. Cartridges separated from toners, colors from black and those already recycled to those not. They are then cleaned up and prepared for recycling.
Laser toners are mainly sent back to their original manufacturers to be re-filled and re-used. Those that can be re-used are then sold again as recycled products, often at a discount. Those toners that can’t be recycled are either broken down into their component parts and re-used where they can be. The plastic that simply can’t be re-used in its original form is shredded and then recycled into generic plastic material. The metal is sorted into type and melted down to be re-used.
Inkjet cartridges are most often broken down to be recycled into other things. They are generally not re-used like toners. Inkjet technology requires a precision that recycled cartridges cannot offer at this time.
The cartridges are shredded, then sifted to separate the plastic from the metal. Both are then melted down into other things. They may even be melted down and re-used in another cartridge.
The reason that printer toners and cartridges are so abundant now is because of this recycling system. There simply aren’t the resources, or investment necessary to be able to produce brand new cartridges in such numbers without being able to re-use materials. Not only would there be less of them around, but they would also cost a lot more.
Taking a minute to recycle your empty printer cartridge or toner is not only a good thing for the environment, it also keep the industry moving and able to supply demand. Recycling helps the planet, and keeps the cost down. This is the holy grail as far as environmentalism is concerned.
How does a printer cartridge get recycled
There are hundreds of millions of printers in the US today, and many more hundreds of millions of toners, or ink cartridges. Each printer will go through at least a few a year with light use, those who print much more will go through many hundreds.
Printer cartridges and toners are now classified as hazardous waste. They are made of industrial chemicals and take a very long time to degrade. Often polluting the surrounding area when they do. Many responsible toner retailers like Quikship offer recycling services as part of their business model. Even offering to pay the shipping for customers willing to recycle their consumables.
But what happens once the cartridge has been sent for recycling?
To start with they are sorted into type. Cartridges separated from toners, colors from black and those already recycled to those not. They are then cleaned up and prepared for recycling.
Laser toners are mainly sent back to their original manufacturers to be re-filled and re-used. Those that can be re-used are then sold again as recycled products, often at a discount. Those toners that can’t be recycled are either broken down into their component parts and re-used where they can be. The plastic that simply can’t be re-used in its original form is shredded and then recycled into generic plastic material. The metal is sorted into type and melted down to be re-used.
Inkjet cartridges are most often broken down to be recycled into other things. They are generally not re-used like toners. Inkjet technology requires a precision that recycled cartridges cannot offer at this time.
The cartridges are shredded, then sifted to separate the plastic from the metal. Both are then melted down into other things. They may even be melted down and re-used in another cartridge.
The reason that printer toners and cartridges are so abundant now is because of this recycling system. There simply aren’t the resources, or investment necessary to be able to produce brand new cartridges in such numbers without being able to re-use materials. Not only would there be less of them around, but they would also cost a lot more.
Taking a minute to recycle your empty printer cartridge or toner is not only a good thing for the environment, it also keep the industry moving and able to supply demand. Recycling helps the planet, and keeps the cost down. This is the holy grail as far as environmentalism is concerned.
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