We might want to do our part to live greener, more environmentally aware lives, but for a lot of us, our daily behavior is so firmly en grained in our routines that we carry on unthinkingly, negatively affecting the environment by poorly considered actions – and one of the biggest of these harmful, unthinking actions is printing.
Many of us rely on our printers every day – for study or for work – so what can we do to reduce our environmental impact?
Recycled paper
Thanks to an increased demand and improvements in manufacturing techniques, the cost of recycled paper has fallen in recent years. The quality of the paper is also much better than it once was, and its use is more much more widespread.
Around 40% of the world’s tree logging is done to make paper, so for those who spend most of their time printing everyday things (like event tickets, notes, essays, or email correspondence) then buying recycled paper makes perfect sense. You’ll be doing your bit to helping reduce deforestation and the staggering amount of water and electricity it takes to produce a brand-new pack paper.
Recycled ink cartridges
Each and every year an estimated 10 million ink cartridges, including Epson ink cartridges are thrown away and sent to landfill. That’s a staggering amount of ink and plastic we’re putting underground; ink and plastic that won’t degrade for hundreds of years, contaminating the surrounding environment. Only around 2.5 million original and compatible ink cartridges are ever sent to recycling plants so they can be reused. While this figure is gradually getting bigger year by year, it’s still got a long way to go, so do your part and support recycled ink cartridges by buying them for your printer
Recycled ink cartridges are made by re-using the empty cartridge cases of original manufactured ink cartridges. The used cartridges are collected and thoroughly checked to ensure that the casings are still in a usable condition before they’re cleaned, refilled with ink and repackaged ready for sale.
Using recycled ink cartridges each time you need to buy new ink is a great way to lessen your environmental impact. With no need for new, wasteful cartridge shells to be manufactured less of
the earth’s resources are being used, and you’ll also be responsible for fewer ink cartridges being sent to landfill each year.
What’s more, recycled ink cartridges can work out up to 70% cheaper than original cartridges – great for reducing your printer running costs!
Guest post written by Rob Henry of Ink Worldwide. Rob enjoys writing, snowboarding and even does casual work as an extra on programs such as Coronation Street.
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