#TonerMythbusters #2: Using remanufactured toner is not necessarily better for the environment
Last week, we kicked off our #TonerMythbusters series in response to an HP newsletter that discouraged users from purchasing remanufactured toner. Today, we will look at another common myth that original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are trying to push to convince users to buy their own printer supplies and nothing else.
Myth #2: Using remanufactured toner is not necessarily better for the environment
A remanufactured toner cartridge by definition is a recycled product that otherwise would have been thrown out as waste. HP’s argument is that “remanufacturing rarely prevents toner from ending up in landfills,” but that is not the long-term objective of remanufacturing. The long-term objective is to significantly reduce the amount of waste caused by toner cartridges given the materials used to make them. It is true that all toner cartridges will eventually end up in a landfill, so what can we do to minimize the environmental impact? It sounds like HP’s view is, “You can’t prevent it, so don’t even try.” That’s not a solution. Even if we recycled each cartridge only once, that would cut the amount of waste in half, and many cartridges can be reused up to 10 times! The lesson here is that recycling toner cartridges does play an enormous role in reducing waste, which, consequently, is better for the environment. Here at Print.Save.Repeat., we reuse every single OEM and Print.Save.Repeat. remanufactured toner cartridge our customers send to us. We make recycling easy by providing free shipping labels in all our packaging — which, by the way, is completely recyclable — and our customers can call us anytime to request additional labels.
Beware of OEM propaganda, but also be aware of environmentally irresponsible manufacturers. Find a responsible company that cares about your needs and makes a solid product to fulfill them.
Check in next week as we discuss Myth #3: Remanufacturers can’t replicate HP technology exactly because HP technical specifications are proprietary and unpublished.