If you have a inkjet printer, then you will no doubt you will have experienced this before. Your printer  annoyingly reminds you   switch over the cartridge , but you brush aside the message  and keep printing. Sometime later (possibly days or even weeks), you find that the empty cartridge you were warned about is still printing! Is it a miracle, is there life after death, did I dream the message is the first place, am I losing the plot ? The answer to all of the above is NO.

Perhaps your  machine   doesn’t  even give you that message , but simply stops printing when it  reaches the decision  you have had enough ink for the price you paid for the cartridge.

We had a little look in to this and found that many ink cartridges have up to half the amount of ink left in them, when they cease to  work

What we learnt

We had a play (I mean tested) three of the top brands Canon, Epson and HP to see what we could find.

The quantity of ink left in the cartridges ranged dramatically from about 10% in a black epson ink cartridge to about 40% in a remanufactured Canon ink cartridge.

Our findings were as follows, as a general rule, there was more ink left in compatible / remanufactured ink cartridges than  oem  ink cartridges, this can be  partially  explained by stating that many compatible or remanufactured ink cartridges can and do contain a lot more ink than the  genuine  cartridges

It’s crucial to note that our results show the performance of a clutch of single printers, each paired with just one cartridge. Since OEMs and their aftermarket competitors sell loads of ink cartridges for a wide variety of printer models, you should purview our findings as a kind of snapshot  at  the way cartridges and printers work and deals with the leftover ink.

Why is so much ink left in the cartridge?

There are  good  reasons for not draining an ink cartridge completely, many inks, if they run dry, can cause crucial damage to the printer. You should always leave a small amount of ink left in the tank so that the printer never runs dry and becomes useless and worthless.

Experts would say that you are only  discarding  a few millilitres of ink and that printers are much more economical than they used to be. However  many  people have  said  very different experiences with ink cartridges. Judging from these findings, printer owners are probably throwing away a lot of usable ink. And that’s a problem, when you consider the environment and when you consider how expensive the  printer ink actually  is.

 Caviar anyone?

If you work out the cost of ink per millilitre from an average HP cartridge for example, you will find that it is more expensive than Dom Perignon champagne or caviar (if it was sold per millilitre, not that I would know how it is sold. And I couldn’t do a comparison with cheese & onion crisp!).

We only tested black cartridges because otherwise it would get to complicated, not to say expensive, and we are not made of money.

Watch the Page Yield

Some retailers and manufacturers recommend that you make sure that they get the correct page yield (total number of pages produced with a single cartridge), rather than focusing on the amount of ink left unused in a cartridge that must be  binned  . This is the most veritable way to find out the life of a cartridge, rather than the amount of ink, or what might be left over. But manufacturers published page-yields don’t always  tie up in  reality. Plus page yields are quoted as 5% coverage of a page, this makes the whole process to complicated for the average consumer to look at, even if they did have the urge to do it.

We have never really heard a decent  response   to the question why so much ink  remains  in a ink cartridge, but the fact is you are paying for more ink than you will be able to use.

What can you do about it?

We believe, the  best way to save money is to use compatible or remanufactured ink cartridges and not the  original  cartridges. The compatible cartridges are generally a lot cheaper and contain more ink. It is true that in many of the printers, you will not be able to use that extra ink. But either way, you have not spent as much on a compatible cartridge as you would on a  original  one.

Also the remanufactured cartridges are recycled, so you are helping the environment at the same time.

While the world stands steady and waits for a leader, one printer company is taking the bull by the horns. After years of sitting back and watching consumers discard their used products in the trash one manufacturer has made a statement.  Lexmark has implemented a plan of action that takes recycling to a new level.

In celebration of Earth Day, today Lexmark released the findings of a Life Cycle Assessment that looked into the environmental impact of discarded toner cartridges. Finding that sending a used toner cartridge back to Lexmark for recycling, as opposed to discarding it in the trash, reduces the overall carbon footprint of those toner cartridges by up to 60 percent.

Not only does discarding old printer cartridges in the trash create an astoundingly large landfill with toxic waste, but did you know that it takes 2.5 quarts of oil to produce the petroleum product that creates the moldable shell of a printer cartridge. By reducing the amount of waste that goes into the landfill and reusing the old shells, you can reduce the amount of oil that is consumed day-after-day.

Lexmark now offers a free collection program for its ink and toner printer cartridges. On Lexmark’s website, you can request a prepaid return envelope for printer cartridges or print a return label for multiple toner cartridges (remember to save the box it came in) to send them back to Lexmark for recycling. Lexmark pledges that 100% of the printer cartridges it collects are either reused or remanufactured for recycling.

Also celebrated for a company that makes its money by selling printers and printer cartridges, Lexmark urges customers to print less. “They have made it a priority to train its customers on what steps they can take to implement responsible printing practices, such as printing less and recycling, to reduce the negative impact to the environment,” said Marty Canning, Lexmark vice president and president of its Printing Solutions and Services Division. They suggest customers print only what they need, use double-sided prints as much as possible, and employ digital document processes and paper-less features such as scan-to-email to share documents. The company also recommends purchasing the highest-yield printer cartridges, which helps cut costs and reduce waste.

Another benefit of recycling toner cartridges is the cost advantage. Typically a recycled toner cartridge costs less to manufacture and that savings is passed on to the consumer. So the next time your in the market for a printer cartridge, Check with your local supplier and try and take advantage of going green. Your children and grandchildren will thank you for it when their not too busy texting.

Printer Toner Recycled into Fingerprint Powder

In a world full of answers on how to recycle just round everything under the sun there are always clever people who just go on the far side traditional means. Over and over you hear about why you should recycle your printer cartridges from trying to save the enviroment to being able to save money and so forth. Even with todays technology the most overlooked resourses often get over looked.

Angus Carnie of 300 Recycling recently noted that he has had a fantastic response from all over the world for his solution to recycle toner powder as forensic fingerprint powder.

Just as many people would assume to recycle a printer toner cartridge would mean you take it apart and then reconstruct it for resale. But with the new application of using it as a dust for the removal of fingerprints at a crime scene is just noteworthy not only for the invention, but also for the value of recycling.

Printer and photocopier cartridges have been reused or broken in down to recover the moldable and metal components; still, the waste toner powder presented a problem due to its complicated composition. Carnie eventually discovered that it made an excellent core material for print powders.

“Ironically, one of the other big issues was what to do with the different colors of toner, but I found that they were ideal for identifying finger prints on dark surfaces such as car dashboards,\” With yellow toner on a black background it makes for a very distinct print.

So beware crooks. If you thought you were smart enough to get away clean think again. One step ahead is the law and in their hand is recycled printer toner from probably your toner cartridge you threw away.

Whether you plan on helping your local school or charity raise some cash, or just fancy a little extra spending money for yourself, you can earn  some extra pennies  collecting and recycling used ink cartridges. This is how to go about it .

Why recycle?

Apart from making some extra cash for your business, charity or whoever. Ink and toner cartridges can take up to 10,000 years to biodegrade in a landfill site which is not great for the environment.

Who Pays for Your Used Cartridges?

Some recycling companies will  take  your used ink cartridges & toner cartridges—and will pay you for  each  cartridge you send in.  They then  commonly sell the cartridges to companies that  will remanufacture  them and sell them as  cheaper remanufactured cartridges  .

 A lot of these companies work in different ways  . Sometimes, the charity gets all the profit from the sale of the used cartridges. Sometimes they get most, with a small amount going to the company. Other companies will pay you directly—and then sell the cartridges on their own. Some will even pay your postage via a freepost envelope—or collect them via courier at their expense.

Companies that do this kind of work can be found by searching for  “cartridge recycling ” on the internet or yellow pages in your area, and then  look at the options available .

You can also sell your cartridges directly to the companies who remanufacturer old cartridges to sell again online. Jet Tec (www.jettec.co.uk is one such company, but others are out there, again check out the internet to find a company that will give you adequate” money to make a profit for your organization or personal pocket. These companies usually pay more per cartridge than typical  middleman  companies.

 Time to make some cash 

 Once you have decided on a partner for your  cartridge  recycling and you know how much you can make for each cartridge you collect, you’re ready to start the fundraising drive.It is also worth collecting old mobile phones as many recycling companies will also pay you for them.  The following  are a few ideas for collecting old ink and toner cartridges for recycling.

Visit your local shops.Its worth visiting your   local electrical stores and office supply stores that sell ink and toner cartridges. Some of them may be willing to allow you to  include  a collection  box   in  the shop for customers to deposit their used ink and toner cartridges. Charity shops welcome any extra cash and you can offer to place a collection bin in the shop and pay them for each cartridge collected. Simply pop round once a fortnight or so to collect the cartridges and pay the charity some cash. Be warned though, that you may find your recycle bins may be full of epson ink cartridges  , so please check that the company you are selling the cartridges too, actually pay you for epson cartridges as many do not.

Visit businesses in your area. Most businesses these days use plenty of cartridges whether they be ink or toner, so it is worth visiting them to see if they can help your cause. Ask employers to perhaps put a note on the companies internal notice board and get employees involved by asking them to bring in empty cartridges from home. Recycling cartridges is a  good move   for businesses—and can help build a green reputation which more and more people are seeking these days. Don’t forget your own place of work and your kids school, all of these  places  can be great for collecting used cartridges

 Write a page on the web . If your business has a website,  you can make sure it includes information about your recycling  scheme  . Make sure you include information on where the proceeds  will go  and how  other like minded environmentally  friendly people can get involved  . If you write a press release or do any other publicity, make sure your website address is included as a place where people can get more information.

Do a mail shot. Send out letters to your  businesses  mailing list, making sure everyone in your are knows about the  options available to them  . Make sure your letter includes information  on where they can drop off their cartridges, the types of cartridges accepted, and how they can get involved—either by contributing money or time or by enlisting the help of their own places of work .

Recycling used ink and toner cartridges is a great way to earn money for your  business  . Many cartridge recycling companies only accept cartridges in bulk—and if you can collect enough cartridges, you can take advantage of their recycling programs. Others will happily take a single cartridges via a freepost envelope service. Find a company that will pay for your used cartridges, set up collection points, and then let the public know—and you should be able to earn a decent amount of money.

While many of us are facing tough cut backs, we fail to remember the most important people in our children’s lives. very much overlooked, under paid and sure enough unappreciated is your child’s teacher. Out of site out of mind, unless you get a note from school. They never tell you about school financial budgets. We only care when our child tends to make us look like were not doing our job as a parent.

Teacher Appreciation Week is easy, when times are good: The java mug. The gift certificate. And of course, the apple.

But when times are bad, it is much more harder and sometimes the best way to say, “Thanks for all you’ve done for my child” is with… a card or even better and much more appreciated is a toner cartridge, or maybe some dustless chalk.

Budget cuts have hit one Chesapeake elementary school hard enough that for teacher appreciation week this week, the Parent Teacher Association sent home a note saying teachers had asked parents to please give them the gift of school supplies. The wish lists included printer cartridges, toner cartridges, Ziploc bags, dry-erase markers, and toys for recess.

“That does look a little sad,” said Kim Parker, vice president of the Western Branch Intermediate PTA. “But most of us room mothers, we’re still planning to do something nice for the teacher themselves, too.”

During these difficult times, little things often make a big difference. Education should be a top priority for our children, and the resources that is required to help them learn shouldn’t be overlooked. But the feeling of helplessness that these teachers must feel when our school system seems to tie their hands with budget cuts is heart breaking. The next time you visit with your child’s teacher please ask them if there is anything that you a interested parent could provide for his or her class.

The next time you get to visit with your child’s teacher it would be beneficial to mention that there are empty cartridge collection fundraisers that would help bring more resources into his or her class. And if saving money on printer cartridges or toner cartridges is an issue in your child’s classroom then the teacher should take some time to make a class project using recycled printer cartridges. Recycled printer cartridges cost 50% less than retail and helps to save the environment.

Why Should You Use Printer Covers?
If you operate computer equipment like work stations or printers in a dusty work area , you should be aware of the hazards caused by dust. Dust sticks to every surface until it clogs up cooling vents and coats electronics in a blanket of insulation , causing them to overheat and possibly even fail. You’ve taken steps to protect your company’s computers, but when a good laser printer costs $500 or more, don’t neglect dust protection for your other equipment. Printer dust covers come in a number of different styles based on your needs and the severity of the dust problem.

Vinyl Covers
Anti-static Vinyl printer dust covers are the smooth, waterproof slip covers that are available in several different colors and can be used to protect your printers when they are not in use . These are the least expensive printer covers, but must be taken off for access each time the printer is used. This makes them inconvenient for frequent-use printers. Vinyl covers may be all you need for a printer in a dusty environment that is not used often, as long as you remember to put it back on after using the printer.

Breathable Dust Covers
Companies like  Computer Dust Solutions sell a breathable non-woven polyester dust cover for all kinds of computer equipment including inkjet or laser printers. These products are designed to remain installed 24 hours per day, seven days a week , eliminating the necessity of remembering to reinstall the covers at the end of each workday when it’s time to shut the shop down. These breathable polyester “mesh” dust covers act as filters for the cooling fans in CPUs, printers and monitors to keep dust out.

Don’t Neglect Dust Protection
Dust buildup inside printer or computer cases is invisible to users. So, it is easy to forget about cleaning and dust protection until equipment overheats and/or breaks down. Prevent headaches in the future by getting in the habit of using printer covers today.