Save Money And The Environment With Eco-Friendly Ink Cartridges
Posted by Adrian Rigby on
In this day and age, being environmentally friendly is increasingly important to both businesses and consumers. Every decision me make impacts the environment in some way, and we are doing everything we can to reduce our carbon footprint. One area in which we all can make a big impact is through our choice of ink cartridges. Although it may not sound like a huge thing to change, opting for eco-friendly ink can help the planet and save you money.
Conventional Ink Cartridges
Normal ink cartridges are typically made from non-biodegradable plastic. Over 350 million cartridges are thrown away each year, which is crazy when so many ink cartridge companies offer a free recycling service. When in a landfill site, it can take from 450 to 1,000 years for an ink cartridge to decompose, so you really can see how bad they are for the environment.
The manufacturing process itself also uses a huge amount of resources. A single ink cartridge takes around 3 litres of oil to produce, and the chemical components in the ink are also harmful to the environment.
What Are Eco-Friendly Cartridges?
Eco-friendly ink cartridges are a greener alternative to traditional cartridges, designed to reduce the impact on the environment that printing has. There are a few different types to choose from:
1. Recycled or Remanufactured Cartridges - these are cartridges that have been disassembled, cleaned, refilled, and reassembled. They undergo extensive testing to ensure they perform just as well as the original ink cartridges.
2. Bio-based or Biodegradable Cartridges - these are made from plant-based plastics, and while they aren’t widely available at the moment, their market share is growing.
3. High Yield Cartridges - these contain more ink than standard ones, so they last longer and fewer cartridges are needed overall.
Benefits of Using Eco-Friendly Ink Cartridges
Now that you can see the importance of choosing eco-friendly ink cartridges where possible, let’s have a look at some of the other benefits:
1. Cost savings
Refilled and remanufactured ink cartridges are significantly cheaper than brand-new ones, mainly because the outer plastic casing is reused. Alternatively, opting for high-yield ink cartridges, although more expensive, offer long-lasting performance so are more cost-effective over time. This can help save businesses and individuals a lot of money.
Using remanufactured cartridges doesn’t mean that quality has to be compromised. Many eco-friendly ink cartridges offer the same page yields and quality of prints compared to normal ones. That being said, it is really important to make sure you are using branded cartridges for your printer, not cheap copycat versions as these will damage your printer and end up costing you more money in the long run.
2. Reduced waste
One of the huge environmental benefits of using eco-friendly ink cartridges is the reduction of plastic waste. Fewer cartridges need to be produced, so less plastic ends up in landfill sites.
3. Lower carbon footprint
Traditional ink cartridges take a lot of energy, oil, and water to manufacture. Eco-friendly cartridges require fewer resources, so you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint if you choose to purchase these.
Things To Consider
When looking to swap to eco-friendly ink cartridges, there are a few things to consider:
· Do your research: check customer reviews before purchasing remanufactured or refilled cartridges to make sure that they are genuine and will not affect your printer. AB Cartridges gives a 100% guarantee on all cartridges sold.
· Look for certifications: most eco-friendly cartridges have certifications on them to show they meet certain environmental standards (such as the Environmental Protection Agency EPA).
· Consider high-yield options instead: if you print a lot, eco-friendly cartridges can help reduce waste.
Remember, when it comes to helping the environment there are lots of things you can do when it comes to ink cartridges. If you would like more information about ink cartridge recycling schemes, pick up the phone and call us on 01522 683460, or email us at admin@abcartridges.co.uk. We offer free, unbiased advice to help you get the best products for your printing needs.
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