What happens to your old inkjets and toners?

On arrival at our site we check all the cartridges received to identify those that can be re-used and separate out those of a make or type that either cannot be remanufactured or are not in good enough condition to be recycled in this way.

Each of those which can be re-used is checked again to ensure they are in good condition. They are then cleaned and separated into their different makes and types and then stored.  Once a suitable number of any particular type has accumulated these are sent away for remanufacturing, the remanufacturer then re-sells these back into the market.  

Happily, the majority of the cartridges we receive are suitable for remanufacture, thus avoiding millions of tons of non-biodegradable material entering landfill each year.  

The main components of inkjets and toners are plastic and metal, materials which may take decades to biodegrade and some may never do so.  In addition the inks and toner powders pose hazards of their own.  Despite this, in the past, sadly, the only answer for cartridges that cannot be re used would have been to send them to landfill after all.  As a company dedicated to recycling, this was particularly frustrating for us.   

The good news both for us and our customers is that we have now identified a way to ensure that even those cartridges that cannot be re-used can now be recycled.  We pass them on for specialist processing which isolates the hazardous materials making it possible to safely reclaim the plastic and metal components which are then be passed back into the manufacturing supply chain.  

Whilst we have to pay for this service, we believe it is money well spent both by us and our customers to protect the environment from unnecessary landfill.  

If environmental impact is important to you, always make sure that you ask your recycling company what they do with broken or non-reusable cartridges.  A good recycling company will make sure that cartridges are re-used when they can be and that those that can’t are safely broken down and the various component parts then recycled in their own right.

Recycling with Impact Inject & Toner Recycling couldn’t be simpler.  We offer collection services for all inkjet and toner cartridges, and you can rest assured that all are recycled in the most appropriate and environmentally sensitive manner.  Please visit our website at:  www.impactrecycling.co.uk  for further information.