(sponsored post)Electronic waste is a worldwide crisis rapidly gaining momentum as businesses and individuals consume more disposable electronic devices than in any other time in history.
This form of pollution contributes to the majority of overall toxic waste produced in industrial and urban areas. This has created a need to come up with new and improved solutions to decrease the amount of electronic waste produced yearly.
These solutions may take different shapes, as they can be to change consumer consumption patterns, creating new technologies or coming up with new ways to recycle.
High numbers of printer cartridges are
disposed of yearly, and they have become a major contributor to the electronic
waste crisis. These cartridges contain carbon, plastic and toxic coloring
agents that take decades or centuries to biodegrade.
Printer Cartridge Facts
To understand how the cartridge manufacturing process and improper disposal of these affects the environment, it's important to be aware of some facts:
- The International Journal of Innovation indicated in 2012 that up to 375 million toner and printer cartridges were disposed of yearly. Over the course of a year, this means around 660 cartridges per minute.
- Large numbers of these printer cartridges end up in landfills, but a large amount of them are incinerated, releasing toxins into the atmosphere. Some of these toxins, such as dioxins, are carcinogenic. Even if they aren’t inhaled, they still pollute crops and water supplies.
- There are several ways that printer cartridges can be recycled, but studies estimate that only half of used cartridges end up being recycled or remanufactured.
Impacts on Natural Resources
When printer cartridges are not recycled,
the manufacturer needs to purchase new materials instead of reusing old
materials from recycled cartridges. Each cartridge is made up of metals and
plastic that contains limited-supply natural resources. Plastic comes from oil,
and metals such as aluminum or copper are mined. Having to purchase these new
materials, it means that more limited resources are being used.
Pollution
Throwing away a printer cartridge along
with regular trash means that it will most likely end up in a landfill or
incinerator. As mentioned previously, some components in printer cartridges
take centuries to break down. As it starts to break down, the remaining ink
leaks out, polluting its immediate surroundings. The smoke from incinerating
the cartridges can be carcinogenic, as well as a pollutant and smog
contributor. The metal parts leave a residue needing to be stored in landfills.
Greenhouse Gases
Printer cartridges not being recycled can
contribute to global warming. By using a recycled cartridge, the manufacturer
does not need to produce new materials, leading to a shorter manufacturing
process producing fewer greenhouse gases. HP is a leader in recycling ink
cartridges. They have been manufacturing their cartridges with recycled
plastic, therefore reducing
gas emissions. They believe that some of the plastic has been through their
cycle ten times. This process has replaced plastic that would have needed to be
refined from petroleum.
Energy
The more energy that is being used in
manufacture and production, the more the earth is affected. More oil needs to
be produced and burnt, additional power plants need to be built, and more solar
panels and wind turbines need to be installed. When printer cartridges are not
being recycled, manufacturing a new one uses a significant amount than using a
recycled printer cartridge. This supplemental use of energy is harmful to the
environment as all energy production sources use natural resources. Even wind
turbines or solar panels, which do not need fossil fuel power to run, need to
be transported to the site, and use mined metals.
Solutions for Printer Cartridge Waste
By recycling or safely
disposing of electronic waste, it’s conceivable that the environmental
impacts caused by printer cartridges can be significantly reduced. One
efficient way to recycle is to send back printer cartridges to be
remanufactured. These cartridges take a lot less energy to be produced and have
the same performance as new toners when industry standard methods are
used in their production.
Remanufacturing printer cartridges means
that raw materials can be saved, as up to 97% of the original components can be
reused when it is being remanufactured. At peak efficiency, a remanufactured
cartridge will need only 1/9th of the raw materials needed when manufacturing a
brand new printer cartridge.
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