Besides the many sheets of paper that a company uses per month, there are also other environmental factors that are affected by printers. Think about how many empty ink cartridges we discard and how many printers we leave in the dumps.

Cartridges are elements that will never be used again. They are also made out of unperishable materials making the decomposing process take much longer. Statistics show that roughly thirteen empty cartridges get thrown away every second yet they are replaced at least fifteen times. On the upside, the majority of the discarded components get recycled and remade into cartridges.

The cartridge container is made of plastic which is made from crude oil and steel for a safer enclosure. The packaging of the ink is made out of paper and cardboard. These are materials from the earth and are running out at an increasing rate. Furthermore millions of ink cartridges are thrown away each year, and there are also many printers being thrown away. We need to think about recycling as a viable option.

Therefore we need to implement more ideas to save the environment. Printers are being designed with this mind. Most of the new generation printers are manufactured with eco settings to lower their impact on the environment. Also, printer parts can be harvested and cleaned so that they can be reused. This avoids having to manufacture a brand new piece from unused earth materials which can save time and money too. There is also a possibility of the printer being repurposed into a functional machine. Those that have reached the end of their lifespan can be refurbished in order to extend their usage. Refurbished printers are a solution to the problem plus they cost less than newer versions.

Old printers tend to have worn parts and mechanisms that degrade the print job. Instead of disposing of the unit, rather get it repaired. It may only require changing a small part. The small parts don’t cost much and it’s a good way to extend the life of the unit. Wireless printers might also only have to be reprogrammed or fitted with a new circuit board in order to work like a new printer again.

Save the environment by following simple recycling instructions. If you are not a fan of the whole recycling concept just give your faulty machine to someone who may be able to fix it for themselves. The best way to rid you of an old printer would be to convert it into a refurbished printer.