There are 2 ways toner cartridges can be sustainable; they are produced ecologically, and they are recycled.
Toner recycling is a very critical process in the print industry. Toner collections are implemented so that the empty cartridge can be reused or repurposed. Our partners, namely Ricoh and Lexmark, ensure their cartridges are 100% recyclable following the zero-waste-to-landfill goal.
According to Lexmark, in 2009, 34% of laser cartridges collected have been re-used. Ricoh’s cartridge recycle program has recycled over 1,104 tonnes of toner cartridges.
For us to do our part, we have teamed up with ‘Close the Loop’ as a registered drop point, so businesses can recycle printer cartridges with us for free.
So, what is done with the recycled laser cartridges? The toner left in the cartridges are used as fuel alternates in cement work; the mixed plastic is used as additional fine sorting; non-ferrous metal is given to smelters for refining and re-use, and ferrous metal is given to steelworks for re-use. Some manufacturers repurpose old cartridges into workplace objects such as rulers.