One of the best seasons we always look forward is the season of fall. Although leaves from tree tops are falling which indicates the start of swearing sweaters, the warmth colors of withering leaves from autumn make a nice background. Imagining this view lead me to come up with a nifty art project that children of all ages will find it interesting to try. 

Of course we'll be needing recyclable materials like used printed sheets. But this craft is more fun to try if your printer experience leaks from ink cartridges. Basically you can't just repair the cartridge by covering up the hole and install it back to the printer. If that's the case, then this issue wouldn't be too serious to many users to request for an item replacement. Unless you don't have a defective ink cartridge, don't dare try to hammer or drill a hole in your printer's cartridge just so you can try this project. Honestly, that's not what I intend to promote here obviously. What I'm trying to teach you are the ways on how to reuse or recycle laser toner cartridges and inkjet cartridges.

To begin with the project, prepare the necessary materials including used paper sheets, paint brush, cleaning rags and towels. If you don't have a defective ink cartridges, don't dare try to hammer or drill a hole in your printer's ink tank, that's obviously not what I'm trying to promote here. Instead, you can use regular paints and choose any color you want for this painting activity.

Let's start by choosing the paper sheets you may use from the pile of used printed materials you gather. See if there are some sheets that doesn't have much prints or any graphics so you can make use of the other side for painting. Now here's the tricky and messy part. Since it's autumn, we'll try to make painted trees using your bare hands and fingers. To those who will be using inks from printer cartridges, it's best to wear hand gloves to protect your skin from direct contact with the ink. Prepare the ink or paint you prefer and wet the palm of your hands with it, then stamp it on the paper sheet. Make sure you can clearly see the shape and mark of your hands, if it's not too clear, repeat the process. After that, you can wash your hands to avoid getting any serious problems due to skin contact with the ink. Well, if it's just paint that you used, there's no need to worry that much.

The next step is by drawing the leaves of your tree, you can do this by dipping your fingers from the paint. Try to use colors that blend together, say, the autumn colors like orange red and yellow, or the standard CYMK colors of ink cartridges. Again, dip your fingers with paint and make thumb prints or finger prints on top of your tree covering its whole. Just don't overdo it, kids may get untidy and messy but don't spoil the fun, just guide them properly.

Once you're done with all the messy part, don't forget to clean the tools you used, as well as yourself. As a reminder, inks from printer cartridges may contain harmful chemicals that may result to skin irritation, it's not advisable to try using it without proper protection. Remember to keep your printer supplies on proper storage rooms to avoid getting defective and dry cartridges. If you experience leaks with items you bought from a particular store or retailer, make sure to double check the items on your purchase.

I came upon this site and found this very interesting post related to an inkjet printer that has been modified or rather the inks were replaced to be able to create such wonderful origami art works. If you haven't heard it last year about an inkjet printer that can create self-folding origami, here's a brief info for you. The printer was called Hydro-Fold, there's nothing much special with this machine and in fact it's about a hundred similar to any conventional inkjet printers in its time. The only difference it caters is the special ink mixture inside its cartridges, which makes it possible for the printer to create self-folding origami designs. 

Though you can't expect it to churn out paper doves and swans, the output was not really as intricate as real origami works but they're somewhat similar. First the user creates a design or a pattern which primarily composes lines and nothing but lines. Then after making the pattern, user send it to the printer and wait for it to spit out the print job. Once the print is done, a matter of seconds will be required for the printout to fold by itself. Contorting its own along with the printed lines on the sheet. So basically instead of you manually folding the paper, the machine puts up some magic on the sheet and let it do the rest. See the images I've provided above to learn exactly what the Hydro-Fold can do with a simple sheet of paper.


Aside from lines, grids and shapes can be printed as well using the printer and its specific ink. By replacing the regular ink with a special mixture of ink and water, plus exploring the properties of paper materials, Christophe Guberan found out that his own specific ink mixture may bend the paper's structures. Guberan was a third-year student of Product Design at the ECAL by the time he developed the Hydro-Fold printer, such a naive guy.


Again let me remind you that this printer can't make intricately folded origami designs for you like a boat or an airplane. Unless you developed a printer that has its own hands to fold it exactly the way a skilled guy makes an origami. Just check out the provided images and see what other patterns you can do and print with it. I actually find it useful for making lamp shade covers or something like that.


See how inks can be used for such different applications. With just the right approach and idea you may developed your very own special printer that can be used for such purposes other than printing text and files usually. Just like with the use of eco-friendly toner cartridges and ink cartridges filled with none earth-damaging substances. Through using these consumables, we may create a greener and more environment friendly printouts that may help on preserving natural resources and protecting our planet. 

Major occasions and celebrations such as the Independence Day,which we annually commemorate during the 4th of July, come with traditions that most of us never failed to reflect. However, sometimes we even forget to at least hold back a little with what we've been doing, for the sake of the environment. There's no wrong with celebrating a most awaited holiday especially the Independence Day, since it is one of the most festive holidays of the year. What's concerning is the negative effect of the way we celebrate it, say like using fireworks, we know that firing up colorful and sparkling lights up in the sky is a time-honored tradition, but we're also aware of the ecological impacts it might bring to the environment.

Being concern about the environment doesn't require anyone to spoil someone's pleasure, in fact we're just having fun, although we know little on how to make a gleeful atmosphere while keeping the consequences minimal. We should be responsible with our every action, whilst it doesn't mean you have to be a killjoy. The knowledge about what you're planning to do or will be doing can help minimize the possible detrimental effects of it, hence we can also say that everything is under control.

Fireworks and bonfires, both sounds fun right, however they may released harmful toxins and chemicals that tend to cause serious health problem to anyone. Come to think of it, we're not just talking about the safety of our environment here, but our body as well. Instead of inhaling harmful carbon monoxide from these two activities, why not consider gathering the whole gang, maybe your friends, family and relatives would love to have an outdoor fun. It's better to catch a baseball with a smile, than catch a lung problem and make your family worried. Play football, basketball or baseball, whatever it is that you prefer, as long as everyone is happy with the game, plus you get yourself fit with these workouts.

Picnic or party, which one is better? Actually you don't have to choose, throw them both, picnic in the morning and party at night. Just make sure that proper waste disposal is implemented on both activities. Having picnic under the nice and warm shade of trees makes a good family bonding. While night outs and dinner parties are perfect for old folks who love cocktails and wines, also don't forget to play a nice music to set the mood. Do you know that there are such organic wines produced from grapes grown without synthetic fertilizers? In the US, there are several Wine Club that offer various organic wines that may suit your palate. So if you want to fill your shelf with organic wines and make it bloom in green vines, you may subscribe to any wine-of-the-month club near you. 

Additionally, throwing a party requires an invitation, if it's not actually needed, try not to print cards or any sort of it, just invite them thru sending an sms or email, make use of technology the right way. You see, printing a lot of invitation cards requires you to spend a lot as well, special paper sheets, printer inks, and mailing services, these are some of the expense generators. Whilst you may say you're using eco-friendly toner cartridges or ink cartridges with your printer, or recycled paper products, still there's the expense. Unlike if you compose a sweet message inviting them to a dinner party or just a simple picnic, then send it to everyone you dear, wouldn't that be more ideal?

These are just few of the things you may consider on how to welcome and celebrate the Independence Day, but still at the end of the day, it's your own decision that will make a difference. Happy 4th of July America.

To set the record straight about what's the real deal between the print industry and the environment, how printing affects the ecological system, as well as the environmental impacts of every print we made. Here are the revealing facts that we should know before you skeptically accuse the value of printing.

Many companies, not only the manufacturers in the Print Industry, are relying on printing technology. Indeed, there are negative impacts that had brought the environment to a not so well state due to improper printing practices, but it shouldn't always be the one to blame.

Let's start with one of it's commonly consumed material, which is paper. People have this common notion that using paper materials kill trees, I give it a check, but trees are renewable, thus it can be replaced. For a fact, in the United States alone, they managed to increase their trees population by up to 20% in comparison to the 1st Earth Day celebration way back 40 years ago (AF&PA). Private land owners in U.S. are planting trees everyday, 4 times the number of trees they harvest daily, and still continue to keep their land for forestry. The bottom line here is that, if you keep on wasting or using paper products, then might as well double or triple your effort on giving back what you got, plant trees more than what you consumed.

E-Books are very common nowadays which perhaps affects the industry of book publishing. Books are produced from paper materials and printing process, and if you think you're helping the environment by becoming an E-Reader, here's what you need to know. Paper productions require about 50-60% of energy which comes from renewable resources, take note of the word "renewable". Now with those E-Books, how are you supposed to access and read those? Through tablets, smartphones, mobile devices, etc., whatever you call it, still they all generally address as electronic wastes. Another question, how are you supposed to use an e-book reader unless it has a charge right? Do you think the power or energy that your devices consumed can be renewed, even so, the health effects and environmental effects of using such devices are more adverse than reading a book.

Electronic waste or what you call high-end devices, are made of plastics, metals, and a combination of minerals that are non-renewable, and can only be acquired through mining. Furthermore, most of these devices have only 60-80% of their components which can be recycled, the rest are dismantled, disposed and end up as land fillers. Whereas the supplies and consumables of a printer has a better rate of recyclability. Printer cartridges for example can be recycled for more than 4-5 times or more, these are called recycled toner cartridges and ink cartridges. They produce less carbon footprint compared to several electronic devices that unsafely and uncontrollably emitting carbon footprints which definitely harm the environment. 

To print or not to print? It's not a slogan nor a motto, it's  a question you should be asking to yourself every time you're about to make a print. Do you really need a copy of this, or is it that important that you really need a printed copy? Unless it's a business related document or file, say a report, of course you'll be needing a printer, but actually you can just save it to a storage device, bring it in the office and distribute it to everyone who will be coming to the meeting. However, not all companies or offices would suggest this idea as they would still prefer having a hard copy. But ideally, the one we suggested would be more convenient and efficient for a company and even to all its employees.

Bills and receipts likewise, can be access online through your account, instead of receiving monthly sheets of bills, why not consider paperless billing? A few stores in the U.S. are offering electronic receipts, which aids in the reduction of paper wastes. Besides, it would be nice to have a digital receipt if there are chances that you want to return a certain product.

If you're a coupon and discount fanatic, there are downloadable apps that you can get for free to save and view those coupons you gained. Instead of printing discount stubs and coupons, these applications will allow the user to view the coupon through their mobile devices, plus they keep you updated with the latest promo and offers from various brands and stores.

Make use of your handsets or tablets when making schedules and setting appointments. Digital memo is more ideal and efficient that arranging your schedule on a PC or laptop, print it and keep inside your bag, wallet or organizer. An organizer will do, but what we're trying to achieve is a paperless environment right, thus using sticky notes, memo pads, and organizers is a big no no.

In the event that you really need to print a certain document, file or whatever it is, make sure you have enough supplies of environment friendly products such as recycled paper or much better if you're using recycled toner cartridges and ink cartridges. Through these suggestions, you get to save your hard-earned money, and greatly help in saving our environment by doing all means and possibilities to reduce your own waste especially with your daily printing.

There are several ways and options to utilize a mobile device which will improve one's perspective and dedication to green living. Additionally, our today's technology is partly adjusting to at least diminish the negative impacts that many industries are generating. If you have a great idea to contribute, please let me know in the comments below.

Paper materials or paper products whatever you call it, they're basically made from wood. Albeit there are many ways to recycle them, there ain't much ways to bring them back to their original form or state. But with Andrej Malinin, a Swedish clever designer who used newspapers and colorful pages of paper waste for her recycling project which aims to create a compostable furniture as durable as a real wood.

The output was superbly unique, sturdy and hard as wood with texture and appearance that resembles lumber or timber. Malinin just basically glued thousands of paper layers using a water-based adhesive, and the output was incredibly awesome that it actually mimic a wood. His wonderful creation was entitled "Back To Wood" by the designer himself which definitely implies the true interpretation of Malinin's recycling project.

Come to think of it, if it's really as strong and durable as what they claimed, that it can withstand pressure and several factors that a real wood can endure. Then wouldn't it be nice to create your own table or rack by recycling tons of paper materials which eventually will turn as waste? Of course there are considerations and certain limits to which you should be mindful given that it's not really made out of wood. Perhaps like using it for your table top decorations or flower vases. Another good idea is to create a computer rack or a printer rack, where you can place your printing machine into a naive and environment friendly stand.

Say, in the office, there are hundreds of paper waste or drafts or printouts that you can collect and recycle for this purpose. Why don't you make a framework, like I said for a printer equipment, since it's kind of light and small. Additionally, it's the printer that mostly generate paper waste in any office and businesses, hence it's ironic to use its waste for a good purpose. If being eco friendly really matters to you, plus, crafting and nifty recycling projects are just your stuffs, then it's worthy to try making your own version of Malinin's Back to Wood creation. Then another good suggestion you may consider is by using eco-friendly toner cartridges or ink cartridges with your printer, as well as recycled paper products when printing. You can cut down the bills and expenses accrued annually, and most importantly, save and protect the environment.

Is it really possible to have a conventional printer that doesn't require to use ink cartridges? Well, Fuji Xerox, one of the known brand manufacturer in the print industry, announced last January that the company was planning to launched a complete range of business printers that features cartridge-free printing.

It's more than just a good news, especially to most environmentalist who are promoting waste reduction globally. Developing a printer that requires no ink or toner tanks will greatly contribute on diminishing overall collected waste that the print industry produced.

According to the news, the first printer that will be released from the said range will be the ColorQube 8900, which instead of using cartridges, it will use four solid blocks of ink (black, magenta, cyan, yellow) called ColourQube technology. The science behind this blocks of ink is more likely similar to toner particles used in most laser printers. The blocks will melt down through heating, to draw images and texts on paper material.

The printer will still use inks although in a solid form, through this technology the need for a cartridge to house the inks can be totally eliminated. This is a remarkable achievement that Fuji Xerox has developed not only for their company but also to the Printing Industry as well. I'm pretty sure with the emergence of ColourQube inks, some printer manufacturers particularly the tech-giants in the industry will soon come out with their own versions.

ColourQube inks contained 30% bio-derived renewable material, which results to achieving a complete certification from NAPIM - National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers. It's ecological benefits are truly exceptional, way better to the derivation of remanufactured toner cartridges and ink cartridges. Although these recycled cartridges can provide positive effects to the environment, still it uses plastic materials for the manufacturing process, yet with ColourQube there's no plastic at all.

Consider your printer having blocks of four crayons, isn't it unique to buy replacement crayons for your machine? This particular technology is nothing new to Fuji Xerox, but for us who haven't seen it in action I'm kind of thinking to switch for a new printer, however, upon checking the market price of ColorQube 8900, $5500 really surprised me. I guess I'll suit myself with using eco-friendly printer cartridges for the mean time.

Paper materials as we all know are products of the environment particularly the trees that long been growing from all places around the world. At present, there are these organizations and movements that promote reforestation as well as protecting the trees from illegal loggers. Through these efforts, all the living things thriving in every forest and similar habitats, still manage to live in peace.

It's been a long time ago, and still counting, when paper materials were created from tree pulps and other wood materials. Now the consequences are manifesting, problems with the ozone layer, carbon emission, unpredictable weather, and so on. Only because the number of trees around the world are not enough to filter what needs to be filtered. It's kind of annoying that people already know these things, yet they're not actually exerting efforts that much in order to stop it or at least reduce the effects.

Back to paper materials, before the only way, as I remember, from which papers can be made, was through extracting pulps from trees, processing it and adding chemicals, then there we have it. Of course I won't go into much details about the whole process, it'll take much time telling you everything. But that was before, cause nowadays, paper materials can now be made through different alternative resources, and believe it or not, even rocks/stones can also be a possible source.

Environment friendly companies including EcoSource and ACT came up with such great ideas to utilize all possible resources which can be used for the production of paper materials. Such resources include banana leaf, flax, and garments - they may sound quite unusual but still it works. There's also this plastic-paper material, it's actually a printable material that can be used for printing purposes, and it can even withstand heat that generates from laser printers.

There are so much of them that I want to tell you guys, but as I remember I've made some post related to this topic, about  papers made from rock materials, and many more. Also, I have all these recycling ideas and contents related to conserving paper materials, even hand crafts and fun learning projects that uses paper products. Just feel free to browse my archive.

In addition, Neeha Paper also offers alternative paper products made from real bamboo, cotton and even tortilla, that sounds tasty isn't it, I mean the tortilla paper, just kidding. Propal paper Mill also offers office paper made from sugar canes, suitable for laser printers and everyday use. All these eco-friendly paper materials are great alternative for everyone's daily printing and paper needs.

Also, recycling can be one of the easy way on how we can preserve the natural resources and materials that are typically use for producing paper products. Printing practices can also be altered to a more green and environment friendly where each and everyone in the office can minimize the use of such materials. For a far better printing, use recycled toner cartridges and ink cartridges to save your hard earned money and have a greener working environment.

Most printer users preferred purchasing new equipment instead of just replacing its empty cartridges with a new set. But having a new printer only means that your old one must go into disposal. If it doesn't even count on you the sentimental value of your printer buddy, then why not think about the impacts it can bring to the environment once this junk of your is not properly discarded.

Printer equipments, from inside and out are all made of non decomposable materials, mainly plastics. Of course it doesn't only work with just plastic components, there are rubbers and metals inside its mechanism that makes the whole machine. However, discussing about its components isn't our topic for this post, our concern is how can we properly get rid of with our old but not obsolete, printer buddy. Nowadays, a typical printer are often thought of as a disposable equipment, indeed it is, every appliances has their limit from which we have to disposed them of. Especially the consumables particularly the laser toner and ink cartridges that every printer consumed.

To help find a way or think of a possible solution on how you can get rid of your old printer equipments as well as the empty or used cartridges, let's have a simple list of how you can either disposed or reuse them.

If you value your printer that much but it's not working properly as much as you wanted, then why not make a craft out of it. Reuse it and make something unique yet helpful, to cite an example, I saw an article over the net from which a printer chassis was used to create a mailbox. Well that is something I've never thought of doing, and it's really awesome. Try to think of other ideas and craft where you can make use of your old printer, from its chassis down to its smallest component.

Cartridges, as they are just small containers can be used as house ornaments, or you could grow an herb from it that you can use as an ornament in the kitchen while having some fresh spices and herb supplies. Also, a dash of creativity will do the trick for you to think of a wonderful masterpiece out of these empty printer cartridges. There are a lot of art works and exhibits wherein they have featured an art piece that used toner and ink cartridges as a medium.

If you don't have that much talent and creative inside you, then go GREEN and recycle those materials. With the cartridges, it's not advisable to refill it and re-install on a printer. As it can lead much trouble to your printer, than you getting bothered by the expense of purchasing replacement cartridges. If you want to literally save and cut down your printing expenses, then opt for the alternative, they're not just refilled alone, re-manufactured cartridges are environmentally beneficial. These recycled printer cartridges are considered as eco-friendly toner cartridges and ink cartridges, providing cost-efficient printing solution while helping save the environment at the same time.

For those who knew about recycling centers around their areas, you can send them out to their facilities in exchange of some bucks. That lives you with no other reason not to be responsible for the environment and be creative as well.

Saving is different from turning green, but you can have them both by becoming green at home or at the office which leads to a lot of savings. Being responsible for the environment while keeping your self focus on greener ways can be a potential factor to save money and reduce accumulated waste. How can you switch your working environment to become greener, and where should you start? I may not be the best when it comes to providing ideas that can help you go green, but at least I'm effectively conveying its purpose and means.

Start lowering energy consumption
Any office requires double or even triple power supply over a typical house. It needs at least 24 hours of continuous energy flow to sustain units that need to be working all day long. Computers, lights, office appliances, printers and all equipments that simultaneously sip energy from the outlets. One way to resolved this is by using a power strip, you can group all the equipments that works similarly into a single power strip. So whenever these units are not needed, you can switch off the power strip with just a click of a button.

Limit office supplies
You may not notice, but believe me there are employees taking supplies from the office bringing them home. If you'll try to limit their resources, they will gradually learn to save on using what's available unless they can provide extra for their own. It is also helpful to make your employees responsible on saving materials. Just like with paper usage, if there's a limited pack of paper materials reserved for printing, tendency is your employees will only print what's important and definitely required. This will result to reducing office supply cost as well as paper waste in the office.

Turn waste into money
There are several materials which you assumed as waste wherein actually you can use them to make money. One good example are the printer cartridges. Any office does have a printer, I mean who doesn't it's a necessity, thus you accumulate empty or used printer cartridges. Do you know that there are several organizations and programs that are so much willing to accept those you consider wastes, and they can even pay you for surrendering those. Moreover, if you want to save more on your overall printer cost, then opt for eco-friendly toner cartridges or ink cartridges which are truly a great savings provider.

Make a switch
If you can replace some of your office equipments or any materials that you think consumes much energy and cost, then it would be better to invest on machines that are energy efficient and requires a low maintenance cost. It does need money to invest on these office supplies and equipments, but in the long run you'll it suitable that you made a switch. Go GREEN your office now.