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.

Printer Cartridge Recycling

Recycling is one of the most high profile buzzwords of the modern age.  We all know that resources are finite, and that we will eventually run out of places to dump our trash.

Recycling was once regarded as the pastime for those few green campaigners and not for the majority.  As we all became gradually aware of the impact we are having on the planet, the availability of resources, and the sustainability of our way of life, Recycling is something we have all had to become accustomed to.

In the early days our ability to recycle was limited to a few simple materials, and the re-use was limited to basic plastic bottles or trays.  Now recycling has become much more sophisticated and we can recycle almost anything.  The re-use of materials has also improved immeasurably with new technologies that allow the mixing of recycled and new material and the use of completely recycled materials.

Many industries like those making aluminum drinks cans, paper mills and glass bottle manufactories can use completely recycled materials in the production of new ones.  A recycles drinks can or beer bottle can be back on the shelf in a new form six weeks from being sent to the recycling center.

Printer cartridges, while appearing quite complex, can be recycled.  At the moment 95% of all used printer cartridges are dumped in landfill.  With an average half-life of 1000 years, they aren’t going anywhere for a while.

Printer consumable retailers like Quikshiptoner have taken it upon themselves to promote cartridge recycling.  They realize that the rate at which we dump our trash isn’t sustainable, and that it is the duty of every citizen to recycle as much of their waste as possible.

By making it as easy and as convenient as possible to people to recycle, sites like Quikshiptoner hope that more cartridges will be recycle, lessening the burden on the environment.  Not only does recycling reduce this burden, but it also reduces the need for other resources that make the new cartridges.

The less oil required to make new printer cartridges, the longer the world supply will last.  Combine that with the increasing demand for more fuel efficient cars, will make this finite resource last just that little bit longer.

To go that one step further, Quikshiptoner even pays for the shipping of the cartridge to be recycled.  It really couldn’t get easier than that, and is typical of a company trying to change the way we live, and encourage the increase of recycling.  Paying for the shipping removes another barrier between the customer and the recycling center.

Let us hope that more retailers take this kind of approach and encourages their customers to consider the environmental impact of their lives a little more.

Brother HL-5250DN

If you are in the market for a fast, reliable network laser printer then the HL-5250DN could be just the machine you need.  This monochrome printer is aimed squarely at businesses that want good quality, quick printing at low cost.  As long as they don’t mind compromising on quality.

The HL-5250DN will output up to 30 pages per minute at 600dpi and has a maximum resolution of 1200 x 1200dpi.  That is an acceptable rate for any business printer.  The print quality is good, but not superb, with the edges of letter not as crisp as they could be.

The built-in duplexer means that the HL-5250DN can print double sided when required.  Ideal for printing booklets, brochures or leaflets.  The print speed slows to 13 pages a minute when printing duplex, which is still a respectable rate.  Double sided printing is also good for those companies who are trying to control the expense of consumables.

The toner seems to last a lifetime.  The standard printing option is quite efficient and there are built in economy modes for internal monochrome documents that cuts down on the toner used considerably.  Replacement drums and cartridges are reasonably priced, with the “High-Yield” toner cartridge purporting to be able to print over 7000 standard business pages before it needs refilling.

The HL-5250DN also has a built in network port, so can be quickly added to a corporate network or workgroup.  This is a feature that isn’t as prevalent in printers at this price point as it should be, and it is nice to see one included here.  Having integrated networking is also good for managing the printer. 

The HL-5250DN comes with a built in web server, which allows management and configuration via a web-interface.  The administrator can monitor usage and consumables as well as adjust settings on the fly.  This adds to the usefulness of this device overall.

Included with the HL-5250DN package is a comprehensive driver suite and administration application.  This application allows you to control every aspect of the printer, from its default settings, permissions. To the deployment of drivers.  The BRAdmin suite allows the bundling of drivers that can be pushed to each client PC to keep administration as easy as possible.

As a piece of office equipment, the HL-5250DN is a good purchase.  It is easy to install, configure and use.  The web interface makes it easy to monitor and control, and the network connectivity means it can be quickly integrated into a workgroup and shared.  Consumables are easily procured from online retailers and will last longer than other brands if used properly.

There are many other printers on the market that can do everything the HL-5250DN can.  None of them can match the combination of ease of use and value for money.  The purchase price is low, the running cost is low meaning the cost per page is low.  Something most businesses value, especially at the moment.

Brother HL-1440

Printers are one of the few areas of technology where the price goes down as the quality goes up.  Brother is one of those companies who offer more to every evolution of their products, but charge either the same or less for them.

Take the HL-1440 monochrome printer for instance.  An improvement in almost every way to its predecessor the HL-1430 yet, retailing for the same price.  It much is quicker, more reliable, has less jams, and better drivers than the earlier model.

The upgrades include a faster 66Mhz processor, and faster electronics throughout.  The only disappointment is with the tiny 2mb memory.  Most printers offer at least 8mb to store documents for printing or scanning.  It does redeem itself slightly with an easily expandable memory slot via a standard DIMM.  The memory can then be expanded to 34Mb which is much more suitable to a busy environment.

The laser print quality is excellent.  Text appears clean and crisp at 600dpi, as do any embedded text or images.  Photographic reproduction is also beyond fault at 1200 x 600 dpi.  Details are sharp and the translations from color image to monochrome print is well done.  No lines, smears or banding could be seen when testing.

Setting the printer up is simple and straightforward.  Just plug it in and connect it to a computer via the USB or parallel port.  The driver CD is comprehensive and contains everything you need to get started.  The user manual is easy to follow, and offers clear instruction as well as basic troubleshooting tips if you encounter problems.

Maintenance of the HL-1440 once it’s up and running is pretty easy.  Blockages can be cleared with ease thanks to the movable paper loader and tray.  Toner can be quickly and easily be replaced once the included starter cartridge has been exhausted.  The ink is in powder form so won’t dry out like inkjet printers.  The HL-1440 is also frugal enough not to waste toner wherever necessary so owners will find their cartridges lasting surprisingly long.

Overall the HL-1440 is an excellent office printer.  It does everything well.  While not standing out by being amazing, it will still be churning out good quality copies and prints long after many, more expensive units have given up the ghost.

For businesses looking to invest in a good quality laser printer, without paying the laser printer premium, the HL-1440 is a very good investment.  It’s easy to install and configure, easy to use, the cartridges last a respectable time and are easy to obtain from the internet.  Places like quickshiptoner.com can have them to you the next day.

Brother DCP-7020

The Brother DCP-7020 is a laser copier, printer and scanner all in one.  It doesn’t offer fax, which is why it isn’t classed as a true multifunction device, but it’s as near as you can get to one.

As a copier the Brother DCP-7020 is very good.  It can output monochrome copies at a rate of 20 per minute and can do it all day long.  The reproduction is excellent, text and images are reproduced with clarity and have a definite crispness to them.  Images and photographs are also copied and printed well.  Even though the machine is monochrome, a color photograph is translated well into the varying shades of gray.
As a printer, the Brother DCP-7020 works very well.  The prints are also produced at a steady 20 sheets per minute and are of a high quality, as you would expect from a laser device.  There are all the usual features you would expect from a printer such as multi-printing, enlargement or reduction, configurable contract, brightness and tone levels as well as a large enough paper tray to hold 250 sheets of paper.

The scanner works in color and allows you to scan normally on to paper, or electronically into an email or pdf.  Again, the quality is good, and the 35 sheet paper tray means you can leave it alone to do its work.  It can also copy books and magazines.

Setup and configuration is a breeze, with an easy to use menu system and extensive configuration options.  Everything you need is on the driver CD included in the box, and Brother seem to release updates regularly.

Cost of ownership is modest, with a reasonable purchase price, Energy Star compliance and reasonable toner cost.  It even comes with everything to get you started , except paper of course!  The starter toner is good for around fifteen hundred pages, so it will be a little while before you need to order more. 

These benefits make it ideal for the small or start up business.  Large organizations can still benefit from the DCP-7020 as it is a real workhorse.  It rises to every demand made of it, and will copy and print all day long.

After-sales support is also good.  If, in the unlikely event you find yourself needing it, the toll-free number actually puts you through to a native English speaking representative who can talk you through troubleshooting the device.  If your problem isn’t solved, they will call you back and an engineer will offer their assistance until the problem is addressed.

The true value of a product can only be assessed when it is in use.  The DCP-7020 won’t let you down.  For businesses of any size looking for a steady, reliable printer, copier, scanner could do a lot worse than the Brother DCP-7020.

Brother Intellifax 4100E

The Brother Intellifax 4100E is a comprehensive office fax and is easily capable of coping with whatever a busy office might throw at it.

This machine has a user friendly design that is straightforward to use.  The no nonsense controls, easy to navigate options and manageable menus make this one of the easiest faxes to work with on a daily basis.

It has 200 programmable speed-dials which can save a lot of time and effort during busy times.  The 20 sheet document feeder is also a real bonus when scanning or copying.  No need to stand there waiting for it, you can get on with your work and let the machine take care of everything for you.

Being a laser device, it is quiet, efficient and won’t have you ordering cartridges every week.  The print quality is good, with the in-built filters cleaning the transmission up as much as possible. 

If a modem could be called high-speed nowadays, this fax has one.  It runs at 33.6k, which is enough to process a fax in 3 seconds flat.  The paper tray has enough room for 250 sheets, and if they run out there is an 8mb memory buffer.  This buffer is ideal for those businesses who receive faxes out of hours.  You never have to worry about missing a fax again!

As well as faxing the Intellifax 4100E is a copier too.  It can produce good quality copies at 600dpi.  The quality of the laser copies aren’t as good as you would get with a standalone printer, but then the print is an added feature of this machine, not the primary role.  To access the print functions a computer will need to be connected via USB.  Once the drivers are installed on the PC, the Intellifax 4100E can be used as a laser printer.

The copy quality is good for basic documents, but photographs and detailed illustrations give it pause.  This should deter a purchase though as it is primarily a fax with a print option, not the other way round.

The device is large, heavy and feels solid and reliable.  The buttons and menus are easy to navigate and operation is quick and easy.  The toner can be changed quickly and seems to last a long time.  Brother drums and cartridges might seem slightly more expensive than those of the competition, but they last longer overall, which cheapens the cost per page.  The consumables aren’t difficult to obtain either, many online retailers like Quickship have the drums and cartridges in stock and will UPS them the same day as ordering.

All these elements make the Intellifax 4100E a good choice for offices of any kind.  It is robust and reliable enough to be trusted in the busiest of environments, while being cheap enough to make the cost of ownership realistic for businesses of all sizes.

Brother Intellifax 2820

While not the best looking machine in the Brother stable, the Intellifax 2820 is a solid performer.  There are a lot of features in this little package.

If you’re in the market for a fax machine, you can’t really go wrong with the Intellifax 2820.  It offers everything you would expect from a fax machine and more.  It replaces the older 2800 and improves many of the features while eradicating many of its faults.

The new paper feeder is very good, and prevents the frequent jams that plagued the 2800 when printing or faxing.  The fax and print cartridges last much longer, making the per sheet cost much less than previous models.  Combined with the lower purchase price, the total cost of ownership of the 2820 is significantly lower than other equivalent machines on the market today.

As a fax it works very well.  It can transmit up to 15 pages per minute and has an 8 megabyte buffer which can store up to 500 pages.  The paper tray is large enough to hold 250 sheets of paper.  It would be unusual indeed to receive a fax longer than 250 pages, but the buffer is big enough to store twice that if it were to happen. 

Other features include automatic error correction, document resizing, useable phone, fax scheduler, and store and fax.

As well as being a standalone fax, the 2820 can also work as a printer.  The same laser that produces the quality faxes can also produce decent quality print.  It isn’t as fully featured as a dedicated printer, so would be more suitable as a backup machine.  The reproduction is decent enough for text and diagrams, but doesn’t really handle images too well.  But then it isn’t designed to.

The Intellifax 2820 works out of the box.  Just plug it in, configure it and then let it do its work.  If you want to use it as a printer, you will need to connect a computer to it, via the built-in USB port.  It comes with a cartridge to get you started which will last for around 1500 pages.  Replacements are reasonably inexpensive and can be ordered online quite readily from places like Quikshiptoner.

The Intellifax 2820 is designed to be a fax first, and multifunction second.  The laser fax is great, is quick enough for most demanding users, accurate enough for important documents and has enough memory and capacity for all but the busiest offices.  The printing is okay, and once connected via USB to a computer is a respectable alternative to a standalone printer.  While the toner isn’t the cheapest on the market, it will last longer than the competition due to the Brothers efficiency.

Those who work in a small or home office, looking for a dedicated fax with a few extras can’t go wrong with the Intellifax 2820.

Brother MFC-7820N

If you need a small, stylish printer that can do much more, The Brother MFC-7820N might be just what you’re looking for. The MFC-7820N is one of a series of multifunction machines that can print, copy, scan and fax.

Aimed specifically at the small business or workgroups the MFC-7820N has all the features you would expect of an all-in-one device. It’s primary role is a monochrome laser printer that can produce up to 20 pages per minute in up to 1200dpi.

The print quality is everything you would expect from a Brother product. The laser prints are clear and crisp with text and images. Photographs are not, however this is an office machine and isn’t geared towards photo printing.

The fax facility is quick and efficient, being able to transmit up to 500 pages at a time from memory. The built-in modem is quick to dial-up and rarely drops the connection. There is also built-in error checking to compensate for unseen circumstances.

The copier also offers good quality reproduction as a speed of 20 pages per minute at a resolution of up to 600 x 300dpi. The paper feeder is reliable, and doesn’t jam like many of the MFC-7820N’s competitors.
The color scanner can produce decent quality images of up to 600 x 2400dpi. The only downside to it is that you can’t scan over a network. The device has to be connected to a computer via USB in order to use the scanner. While this isn’t a deal breaker, it does mark it down slightly considering it is marketed as a networked device.

The MFC-7820N offers the usual in document resizing, error correction, automatic image balancing and basic functions. It can scan multiple pages and email them either loose, or as a pdf file. Envelopes and non standard print sizes are also catered for, and are easy to produce. It is designed to be used over a network, but as above, at least one computer will need to connect via USB to be able to use the scanner.
Consumables such as ink cartrdges are easily replaced, and are competitively priced. Often the ink drums or cartridges are where many printers fail to be value for money. Often costing many times the price of the printer during heavy use. No such worries with the MFC-7820N as it is efficient with the ink, and replacements aren’t expensive.

Overall, the MFC-7820N is a solid, no fuss multi-function printer, scanner fax and copier. It doesn’t do anything amazingly, but is a solid performer and would work well in any small office environment.