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Choose what's best, it's just too easy to say yet kinda hard too do, especially if there's so much option in front of you. Once you determine what's more appropriate and suitable, it's either you'll start with the right one or you'll realize you just started using the wrong choice. But there's always a chance to make a switch.

The chance to switch for a better purpose is indeed fulfilling, and one thing we could change is our choice of what products to use. There are cheap merchandises in the market and there are also these expensive and branded products. Does it really mean that high-price means high-quality? For a wise consumer, quality shouldn't be compromised even if you're opting for lower priced products.

In our everyday printing, the inks or toners we used, are we really using the good choice? A typical printer cartridge is mainly made from petroleum-based materials. Indeed there are these bio-based printer consumables available, but they're not yet widely known, even their ecological impacts on the environment as well as to us.

Conventional printer ink and toner cartridges use pigments and other metal substances which may bring harmful effects when people get exposed to it. Also, these consumables are mainly made of non-renewable resources. Aside from the fact that they're not renewable, the cost and energy requirement to accumulate such substances and materials are extremely high.

Whereas bio-based printer cartridges, due to the shortage of oil products, they emerge and became an alternative printer consumable. It's also been said that vegetable-based inks can deliver much better performance over conventional inks, or even to soy-based ink products. In addition, the emission of Volatile Organic Compound has been greatly reduced.

Bio-based inks are also efficient for recycling process, although conventional ink cartridges can also be recycled, the latter requires more energy in the re-manufacturing process. But re-manufacturers should be mindful of the limit from which a typical cartridge can be reused, more likely it's about 4-5 times a cartridge can be recycled. From a consumers point of view, cost is something they really look in to, it's actually one of the reason why recycled toner cartridges and ink cartridges are being supported ever since they emerged.

If you're running a business, consider these information and the option to make a switch to a better and greener printing practices, it's actually a great move. Benefits and advantages will come along the way if you tried switching to recycled printer cartridges and office supplies. Don't focus on how much you can save that's why you are switching, think of the environment and how you can save it as well as your health.

 
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In celebration of St. Patrick's Day which is annually commemorated during the 17th of March, to bring more luck in our house and offices, let's all go green. You don't have to wear leprechaun costumes all throughout the day just to literally be in green, what I mean is by changing our bad habits into greener practices.

Whether you do it in the office or at home, there's so much we can do to turn our day greener and luckier not only during St. Patrick's Day but all throughout the year. Consider the tips below and try to practice it one at a time, soon you'll see significant changes in your working environment and at home.

Choose recycled products and consumables. If you're not into such products before then it's not too late to make a switch. Forget about the notion that recycled products are of low quality, that's just a myth. In fact, they are more durable and can last longer compared to branded and costly merchandises. Still doubtful, then why don't you try them and see for yourself the difference it can bring to you and your pocket.

Use less and conserve. Not everyone is concern about saving resources, so it would be better to remind them sometimes about the essence of conserving and saving. Snap them out of their lazy habits. Energy consumption for example is something you should be watching over, try to find a solution to reduce it, maybe a power strip will do the trick. Also with the supplies and materials in the office, you might not be noticing it but there could be a reason why you often run out of supplies earlier than you expected, perhaps wasting is rampant.

Talking about office supplies, printer cartridges and papers are essential materials in printing, hence you shouldn't be wasting those. Unless you have plenty of budget to frequently buy replacements then go waste it as much as you want. But for those who are switching to green printing practices, aside from printing wisely they also use Eco-friendly toner cartridges and ink cartridges. it's like hitting two birds with one stone, you get savings by purchasing recycled cartridges while protecting the environment as well. I supposed you'll get two thumbs up from St. Patrick, or maybe just from the leprechaun.

Participate on recycling programs near your community or state. I'll try to search for the schedules of recycling events in the U.S. to keep you posted. For those who are living near Eastvale Public Library in Eastvale, CA, there will be an E-Waste Recycling Event on Saturday March 16 around 10:00am to 2:00pm, details can be found on their website.



 
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According to EarthShare, back in 2010, each year there were 400,000 tons of plastic and metal materials are being saved from ending into landfills through recycling printer cartridges. Imagine that huge amount, tons and tons of used toner and ink cartridges are being discarded each and every year, and most people doesn't even care whatever the result maybe from throwing away these materials.

Just so you know, aside from reusing the materials particularly the components of printer cartridges for manufacturing new cartridges, they don't just save the resources, they also save energy by less than 50% simply recycling printer consumables. Oil and petroleum are two of the most essential materials that are use in the production of ink and toner cartridges, if you think there's more of it to consume, then you better think again.

Let's make an assumption, say each day there are more than a hundred pieces of cartridges that are thrown away in a single state. Now, imagine if you multiple those hundred pieces by 365 days, roughly we get 36,500 pieces, not too much at it seems. But it's just for a single states alone, how many states do we have in the U.S. about 50 or more right, then that will give you a figure that would reach millions.

For a fact, more than 90% of all the components and materials a cartridge composed of can either be recycled or reuse. If I'm not mistaken, I think a cartridge can be recycled for more than four times, from which it will reach its limit. Considering these facts, it is quite surprising to see drastic improvements in the production of recycled toner cartridges in the market, and how consumers are supporting such products over the years.

A commitment to go green not only with our printing practices is something that we should take seriously. By giving a second-life to these recyclable materials, we tend to save the environment as well as our pockets from the mounting expenses that we printer users accumulate every year. By opting for recycled printer cartridges and office supplies, we became environmentally responsible and a wise consumer as well. Remember that we don't have to spend too much just to have the excellent quality and performance that we demand. Certainly, there are ways from which we can save more while getting the quality we deserve without risking our environment.

 
Every equipment or machine will meet its end of lifetime, I mean not everything lasts forever even us. Well it's up to you if you will still keep it even it's not working properly, but bear the consequences of keeping it. Eating up some space from your storage rooms, and the maintenance that you have to keep it free from dust or any elements that will worsen the obsolescence of your unit.

Your printer buddy, whether that's an inkjet printer or a laser printer, personal or office use, time will come that you have to bid farewell to your unit. The question probably would be, how are we supposed to disposed of this equipment? Throwing it in your trash bin is definitely not an option, but there are numerous ways and preferences on how you can considerably get rid of it.

First and bright option would be, to recycle it.
Here's a fact, every component there is inside and outside a printer can be recycled. The chassis and tray are both made of plastic, thus it is recyclable, while the other components let's say are made of rubbers and metals, which can also be reuse. If you don't know how to reuse those materials from your printer, then find a recycling service in your area and ask if you can either send or drop them off on their facility.

Second good option would be, to pass the hat.
If it's still working but not so wonderful enough, then why not make it a gift. Yes there are very affordable printer models in the market right now, but these latest models you say are indeed requiring high-cost consumables. Printers nowadays are typically costly to operate due to the expensive retail price of most toner and ink cartridges. Unless you can find a retailer that can provide you with re-manufactured cartridges or as we called it eco-friendly toner cartridges and ink cartridges. These cost-efficient printer cartridges can match up with most OEM products, granted that you purchased them from a trust worthy and competent retailer.

Third additional option, if you want to make some money.
I know that you already knew what I mean when I say you want to make some money. Sell it, well if there's anyone or any shop that would like to have your old printer, then what's holding you back, go turn that old junk into some bucks. Besides you don't actually need it. This option is helpful for someone who would like to upgrade to a new model, you can add the money you earn from selling the old printer so you find a better new printer.

If you know more options, or have any idea on how to properly get rid of your old printer equipments, you can drop it on the comment box below this post. For those who knows a recycling center, organization, facility or programs, near your place that you think it would be a great help to share it here, then feel free to post it on the comment box below.
 
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Photo Credit : Lexmark
Lexmark truly is a green industry, from remanufactured or rather recycled toner cartridges and ink cartridges production down to environment friendly product packaging. Even used paper materials found their second life in the manufacturing process of Lexmark cartridges packaging.

An idea that results to a positive difference wherein both the company as well as the environment are benefiting. On the company's side, transporting and delivery process became more safe and less fragile. You see there's always a possible way to reuse and recycle our own accumulated waste.

Since Lexmark is a printer manufacturing company, it is given that to check their products quality, such tests are implemented. In these several quality test include print testing, which then results to accumulating paper waste materials. To guarantee the performance and detect any problems, the company must imply these evaluation to make sure that every piece of equipment and printer consumable are working properly before it gets in the market.

But instead of burning or throwing away their paper waste, Lexmark came up with a noble idea to recycle their own waste and reuse it for packaging purposes. All the used test pages are transported to the company's package manufacturing facility, from there it undergo recycling process.

Tom Gilinski, Lexmark's Manager of Packaging Engineering stated :
        “Manufacturing is required to run test pages. We are required to develop packaging for these cartridges. The result – a         new process using our own waste paper converted to new molded packaging cushions.”

This project which was developed by a team from Lexmark, results to an outstanding ecological benefits. Through using recycled materials, it became a win-win situation for the company and also for the environment. And if you also want to have a better and greener printing practices and solution, then opt for only what's good for the environment. These include recycled toner cartridges and ink cartridges, just like how lexmark toner cartridges are manufactured and delivered in a green way.

 
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What makes Lexmark cartridges different from the other major brands, in terms of being environmentally responsible? First let's give credits to Lexmark for being one of the remarkable printer equipment manufacturer, mainly for their cartridge recycling programs. Also, there's a noticeable price drop in their printer cartridges and other related consumables, which tends to attract more customers. Compared to the price of printer cartridges from most big names in the printing industry, Lexmark toner cartridges and ink cartridges are considerably low in price.

A wide array of cartridge return programs are supported by the company, most of these are easily accessible on the part of their customers. Customers are liable to return empty or used Lexmark cartridges for recycling purposes. With that, as a responsible person, instead of just throwing away or disposing your printer's cartridges, you can instead send them out to Lexmark and let those empty containers be reused.

Lexmark Return Programs are consistently aiding in the global advocacy of reducing waste and hazardous materials from ending in landfills. Such poisonous elements and potentially harmful chemicals can contaminate a landfill once emitted. Thus for every piece of cartridge you returned, aside from becoming more environmentally responsible, you also contributed on promoting green printing practices.

What are the highlights of Lexmark recycling programs?
  • Their recycling plants are ISQS (International Standard Quality Systems) licensed.
  • About 50 countries around the world are supported by Lexmark's cartridges return program.
  • There are different methods and ways on how a customer can return their used or empty cartridges.
  • Lexmark Cartridge Collection Program, just like the others, promotes environmental responsibility in such a hefty move.
  • Most of all, Lexmark Cartridge Return Program is totally free of charge for all its loyal customers.
If you're an Epson printer fanatic, or it just so happened that you have one at home or in the office, it wouldn't be that much of a hassle to participate in this kind of ecological program. Since it's free, you don't have to worry about the cost it would take to send out an empty cartridge to one of their recycling sites. Just be a responsible person and help save the environment by reusing e-waste materials so we can have a greener world to live.



 
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How can your printing practices be environmentally beneficial? Do you at least consider green printing? If so, how efficient are your practices in terms of being responsible for the environment? These are just some of the questions that you can ask to yourself whenever your print, whether it is in the office, at your house, or any other place where you can actually print. Aside from the fact that you can save much money in the process, there are tips and guides that you can utilize to create a positive impact for the environment through green printing practices.

Does you printer supports Duplex (double-sided) printing? If yes, you probably noticed a decrease with your printer's paper usage. It can nearly reduce the figures by half, hence you cut down the expense of purchasing packs of paper materials while eliminating much paper waste as well.

Most printer nowadays were built with an eco-friendly mode or setting wherein you can set the printer to its lowest ink consumption. Of course there's always an exception to these settings, such as files and business documents that require the highest possible print resolution a printer can provide. But for not so important files, you can switch your printer to Eco mode to save the remaining inks or toners.

Are you familiar with the blue Energy Star label that can be found in most equipments and electronic products? If yes, then you might as well know what it serves for, it indicates effective usage of energy. If you want to go shopping for a new printer, consider checking the blue label or at least ask how efficient the printer can be in terms of power consumption.

Now this suggestion can be a bit costly but considering the savings you can accumulate in the long run, you'll probably think over of it, this is applicable for offices and businesses. Do you print in black most of the time like about 80% of your prints can be done with a monochrome printer. Then it would be better to have a monochrome printer and a color type printer as well, so instead of making black prints with a color printer, you can send all those files to the mono type. Why do you need to have both printer? Monochrome printers only used a single toner cartridge, whereas a color printer has more than four cartridges. In addition, you can equipped a mono printer with high-yield cartridges or recycled toner cartridges to save more on your printing expense.

 
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Photo Credit : Canon USA
According to a news from Canon, the imaging and optical products manufacturing company, they'll be rolling out an inkjet cartridge recycling scheme across more than 15 countries in Europe. This program has been formed following the success of Canon's one-year trial recycling program in the United Kingdom and Germany.


Canon stated :
''Our company's inkjet recycling scheme allows customers to recycle genuine Canon inkjet cartridges for free and ensures 100% of each cartridge is diverted from landfill.

According to the company, there is more than 97% of each cartridge has been either reused or recycled into new products while the remaining 3% will fall to the waste-to-energy sector.

If you can remember the voluntary agreement to green the printing industry which was favored by the biggest names in printing industry, Canon was also included on the list of manufacturers that signed up with the agreement. Again to explain the purpose of the said agreement, one of its great intention is to greatly reduce EU Industry's carbon footprint emission in terms of printing and copying.

This wonderful move by Canon has resulted in more than 287,000 tons of printer toner cartridges that were collected globally, which leads on saving more than 185,000 tons of raw materials needed in the production of printer consumables. Since 1990, the printer toner cartridges recycling scheme has been running in 20 countries - 16 countries where in EU.

For the list of supported countries which can be able to recycle their Canon printer cartridges, you may refer on the checklist below :
Austira            Belgium            Czech Repulic
Denmark         Finland              France
Germany         Ireland              Luxembourg
Netherlands     Norway             Slovakia
Sweden          Switzerland        United Kingdom

Customers and consumers of Canon printer products will be asked to fill in a short form online, upon which Canon will supply a free-post return envelope so the customers cartridges can be returned for recycling purposes, thus creating eco-friendly toner cartridges and ink cartridges from Canon printer manufacturing company.

    Author

    Fiel Mori Promotes Eco Friendly stuffs and creating environment friendly articles for everyone @PrintGreen



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