January 2017 – America's Top Toner Buyers

The 10 Most Profitable Printers to Save On Your Office’s Printer Supply

If you’re looking to sell unused cartridges, chances are you may be in the market for a new printer. But it’s a wide world out there when looking through all the printer supply places.

That’s why we’ve created this best laser printer 2016 list. Each office laser printer below was chosen for high ratings from both industry magazines and internet reviewers.

The printers below range from multi-functionality color printers to a basic black and white printer that could qualify for the best laser printer under $100.

So whether you need a machine that can do everything for the whole office or a compact machine for just one limited area, this list has you covered.

These printers also have fast print times, many boast energy-saving modes, there are duplex options and these machines offer other features to save you time and office supplies. Which ultimately boosts your bottom line.

Canon ImageClass MF249dw, $209.00 MSRP

For small office environments, this machine is one of the best laser printer all in one devices you can find. It prints, faxes, copies and scans, so it’s good if you want to pare down the amount of gadgets in a small office.

The print speeds on this machine run at 28 pages per minute in black and white, and it produces a first print time of six seconds or less.

There is also wireless connectivity, so you can print from anywhere in the office, leading to greater workflow efficiency. The machine’s Wi-Fi® Direct capability allows direct connection to the printer without needing a router.
The printer can work with mobile services like Apple® AirPrint®, Mopria™ Print Service and Google Cloud Print™.

An energy-saver mode also helps you save on energy costs around the office.

Dell Smart Printer S5830dn, $999.99 MSRP

If you’re looking for a monochromatic high-volume office laser printer, this is your machine. This printer has First Page Out Time as fast as 4.4 seconds and can print up to 63 pages per minute.

A notable feature is the USB port that allows for straight printing from a flash drive. Or you can print from the Microsoft SharePoint On-Premise folders.

The machine is also optimized for LCD screen prompts to clear up errors quickly, and a paper handling mechanism helps prevent printer jams.

There is also an optional Extra High-Yield Toner Cartridge that can handle 45,000 pages.

Dell Smart Printer S2830dn, $279.99 MSRP

If you need a more compact version of the Dell Smart Printer, this is your machine. It weighs about 30 pounds and has dimensions of 15.7 inches x 15 inches x 10.3 inches.

This is a monochromatic laser printer option, so it’s a good basic workhorse machine if you just need some black and white documents printed around a smaller office.

The machine still prints pretty fast, at 40 pages per minute and a first page out rate as fast as 6.5 seconds.

Printer mechanisms and algorithms are in place to prevent jams.

The printer comes with the ability to add two optional trays that can hold 250 sheets. It’s good for specialty settings like letterhead or certain forms.

Dell Color Smart Printer S5840cdn, $999.99 MSRP

This machine is great if you prefer or need color printing around the office. Yet the machine doesn’t sacrifice power, with its 1.2GHz quad print processer.

The printer also doesn’t sacrifice speed. It has a First Page Out Time as fast as 5.5 seconds.

If you’re looking to save energy costs in the office, this printer also has a typical energy consumption rating of 2.3kwh/week.

This machine also boasts access to SharePoint on Premise folders for access to the most up-to-date documents.

You can also use a flash drive to print directly from the USB port on the printer itself.

Brother HL-L5200DW, $229.99 MSRP

Here’s another black and white laser printer that’s perfect for offices that need just the basics for printing business documents.

This machine also features wireless networking so you can print from mobile devices. The machine works with AirPrint®, Google Cloud Print™ 2.0, Mopria®, Brother iPrint&Scan, Cortado Workplace and Wi-Fi Direct®.

This office laser printer also boasts high-yield duplex printing, thanks to an 8,000-page replacement toner cartridge, meaning fewer trips to a printer supply store.

The speed on this machine sits at a solid 42 pages per minute.

There is also a 250-sheet paper tray and 50-sheet multi-purpose tray. Added optional trays allow for up to a 1,340-sheet capacity.

HP LaserJet Pro M501dn, $399.98 MSRP

This black and white laser printer is fast, secure and saves energy.

The speed on this machine is at first page print in as little as 7.3 seconds, from the energy-efficient sleep mode. It can also handle two-sided printing for as fast as up to 65 pages per minute on A5 paper.

A normal print speed sits around 45 pages per minute, with the first page out rate at 5.7 seconds.

The machine also holds 1,200 sheets of paper, so you don’t have to stock up the machine’s printer supply as much.

Confidential documents can be printed with a secure PIN system via a flash drive. Other features, like the HP JetAdvantage Security Manager, help keep data safe and secure.

There is also an optional high-yield cartridge for replacement.

Dell Color Cloud Multifunction Printer H625cdw, $299.99 MSRP

If your office is big on cloud collaboration, this color printer was made for that. It boasts direct cloud connectivity through the Dell Document Hub.

This printer is also highly multi-functional, since it can print, fax, scan and copy, making it one of the best laser printer all in one options.
Optical Character Recognition helps convert files into live documents that can be edited and searched.

The print speeds on this machine sit at 25 pages per minute. The default print setting is two-sided for 50 percent savings on paper.

The printer also supports mobile options like AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and Mopria for printing while on the go.

Brother MFC-L6700DW, $599.99 MSRP

If you need a lot of black and white printing done, this is your machine. It has a huge paper yield, sitting at a basic 520-sheet capacity.

Adding on optional trays brings up the sheet capacity to 1,610 sheets.

The machine also is great for scanning large documents with the legal-sized document glass.

The speed on this machine clocks at around 48 pages per minute.

Another option is the high-yield replacement cartridge, which prints 12,000 pages.

This laser printer is also wireless, so employees can print from anywhere. The printer supports mobile devices through AirPrint®, Google Cloud Print™ 2.0, Mopria®, Brother iPrint&Scan, Cortado Workplace, and Wi-Fi Direct®.

HP Color LaserJet Pro M252dw, $199.99 MSRP

If your workplace needs a compact little color printer for those projects where presentation is key, this is your office laser printer.

It boats a speed of about 19 pages per minute in both black and color. The first page out speed is 11.5 seconds for black and 13 seconds for color.

It boats two paper trays and auto-duplex printing.

This laser printer has a 30,000-page monthly duty cycle, meaning the machine can produce up to that much imaged output in a month.

Brother HL-L2300D Monochrome Laser Printer, $99.99 MSRP

This is a monochromatic option that’s great for people looking for a little workhorse printer in a reasonable price range. It’s truly the best laser printer under $100.

Its compact design puts it at 14 inches x 14.2 inches x 7.2 inches and it weighs around 15 pounds, so it’s good for a little personal printer to place on a desk.

It prints 27 pages per minute, and its first time to print speed is less than 8.5 seconds.

This laser printer has a 250-sheet capacity. It connects to the computer via a USB interface.

That wraps up our best laser printers of 2016. Remember, if you want to unload any unused printer cartridges from your old printer for straight cash, feel free to contact us.

You tridges entirely online, so that’s one less trip to a printer supply store.

Top 4 Fonts to Use When Saving On Printer Ink

Who knew that a simple font like Arial could cost you much more of your ink and toner in the printer than other fonts? Is it that hard to believe?

Look closely at how prominent Arial really is. The letters are big. The ink’s deep. Makes sense that after a few dozen pages of printing, Arial might waste that ink cartridge faster than you can say ‘Epsilon’.

Apparently it’s true, and it’s been studied widely by experts: statistically you lose over 20% more of your ink by using this font you’re seeing right here, and the sad thing is Arial’s a standard in today’s content industry.

So what do you do? What can you do?

Four Different Fonts to Choose From Without Losing Quality

And the bonus is this: you’ll save on your ink.

It’s good to know, though, that Arial isn’t the only culprit. Other fonts waste ink as well, but one thing’s for sure – we have four different fonts you’ll probably love, as well as your printer and your pocketbook will love, and this first one is the one you’re seeing right here while reading this article: Times New Roman.

You see? Information truly is power, as no one ever would’ve thought a simple change from Arial to Times would make a difference. It does. Times New Roman outdoes Arial by 27%, apparently.

It seems like pennies and dimes to the budget, but in all honesty – do you really want to ignore the facts?

The ink and toner industry’s booming with a lot of competition to boot. Prices may go up. Ink’s a hot commodity.

You want to save as much money as possible in your company funds, keeping your cartridges running smoothly as you print out the next whitepaper or memo for your office, but let’s just say you’re not a fan of Times New Roman. What do you do then?

Well, the Good News Is You Can Also Switch to Calibri

How about this font? Is this more your style? A lot of professionals use this one as well. And it turns out here’s a font that also outperforms Arial just as much.

Again, though, printers vary in terms of efficiency, so there’s no real accurate way to measure the output versus the cost except for what you’re reading here. You either go with Times or Calibri, and you’re set.

Some problems, though, people have with Calibri is the lack of ‘professionalism’, for lack of a better term. The printer ink font looks a bit childish.

That’s, of course, a matter of opinion. We’ve seen resumes printed in this font, and we never saw any problem with them whatsoever. But each to his/her own.

So you’re facing a dilemma here: you don’t want Times, and you don’t want Calibri. And you certainly don’t want Arial, because you like your company profits to continue growing the way they are.

Century Gothic Also Saves Ink and Money

And just in case you print this out, freaking on the fact that we used Arial for just a bit in the intro paragraph, know this: it all adds up, and we can sweat the slight use of the expensive font given that over time and lots and lots of printing, costs for toner can get as high as $100K. That’s a lot.

But as we’ve mentioned – Century Gothic, what you’re looking at right now, is also a suitable replacement. We’re talking about a 30% decrease in printing ink versus Arial.

A decent change as well, however as you notice these words are a bit bigger, albeit a thinner print line accounting for the decrease in ink usage.

Century Gothic’s not for everyone. After all, if you want to jam in as much quality content on a page but start seeing the paper count add up due to the extra space, the decreased cost in ink might get balanced off by the fact that you’re using more of your stationary.

It all depends on your needs, really. Printing a novel? Century Gothic’s probably not what you want…. But you might like this last font choice:

Ecofont

Utterly revolutionary when it comes to printer ink fonts, because here’s the thing about this style – you can’t tell you’re using it! That’s why you’re seeing Times right now as the go-to, but just in case you’re curious as to what the difference is, here’s a shot for a comparison:

What you’re seeing is Vera Sans in regular font at the top. At the bottom is what Ecofont would look like up close.

Yes, it’s true: you can get Ecofont in the Sans style, Garamond, some other styles, and even Arial. You can see what the key is: those little holes you see in the letters cut down on the ink usage tremendously, so it might be worth a look.

What you have to understand, though, is that this is a very specialized font style. You can get it for an additional $19.95 to install in your Word processor and Outlook, but in the long run, the investment might be worth it in terms of the ROI. Might be something you’d want to look into….

In the End, It All Depends on Your Preferences

Do you print very little and still like Arial? Fine. Stick with it. Arial’s okay. And the cost on your printer ink will be minimal (just keep maintaining that printer if you’re not using it much).

But if your printer usage does go up a fair amount, you might want to consider Times, Calibri or Century Gothic. Choices, choices, choices.

Still, if you’re regularly using that printer – like, every day, every hour – spending that additional $20 for the Ecofont in the long run may be the very best bet.

You’ll be thanking your decision, as you can get this form in just about any font you fancy.

So, again, consider your options. Because you can’t afford not to, especially if you’ve already printed out this 1K-word whitepaper about saving ink. Ironic.

Don’t Sell Your Toner Cartridges Until You Read This

You want to sell your toner cartridges and you’re curious as to what the process entails.

What condition should they be in? Who do you sell them to and for how much? Where can you get the most cash back for your toners?

These are all important questions.

But here’s the bottom line:

Selling your unused toner cartridges is an excellent idea. It reduces waste and it puts money in your pockets.

There is, however, a lot to consider before you decide to sell your surplus ink and toner cartridges. You need to examine your supplies in order to determine how much they’re worth, if anything at all.

Or at the very least, you need to know how to preserve any unused ink cartridges in the event that you’d like to turn them in for a hefty prot.

Either way, this guide will help you to do just that.

Let’s get into the details.

THE TONERS THAT WE BUY BACK

There’s an infinite number of brands and types of toner cartridges on the market.And honestly, they’re not all top tier products.As such, you need to know if your toner cartridges are complicit with the highest acceptable standard.

Here’s how you can make that determination:

Are they OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) cartridges? OEM ink cartridges are manufactured by the company that produced your printer. They’re either the ink supplies that accompanies your printer when you purchase it or they’re replacement cartridges that are made by the same company.
Are they compatible or generic cartridges from third parties? A compatible ink cartridge refers to one that is not manufactured by the original manufacturer of your printer. They are made by third parties rather than OEMs and are designed to fit a range of printers.
Are they remanufactured cartridges? A remanufactured cartridge is an old, used cartridge that has been refurbished. It can either be one that was originally sold by an OEM or a third party. Any defunct and irreparable components are replaced and the cartridge is refilled before it is resold.

CONDUCT A BOX CONDITION ASSESSMENT

Securing the right type of ink supplies is just the first step.Before you sell your toner cartridges, you need to ensure that they’re in a condition that merits them to be purchased and resold.Are they in factory sealed boxes or have their boxes been opened?

A sealed box is the only indication that we have of toners that are brand new. If the original packaging has been tampered with, we cannot say with all certainty that the ink has not been used. As such, we only buy back toners that are in their authentic and unscathed boxes.

So are all ink supplies in factory sealed boxes accepted for buyback? Most of the time.

Will the condition of the boxes affect the cash back that you receive? Certainly.

The better the condition of the box, the higher the offer it will command. Contrarily, if the packaging is severely disfigured, the value of the toner will depreciate and you won’t get the best deal.

To ensure that you get the maximum available rating and the highest cash back for your ink cartridges, keep them free of heavy damages like holes, dents, rips and tears.

In addition to the physical condition of the box, the expiration date on the toners will also determine whether your supplies get accepted or not.

EXPIRED AND UNEXPIRED INK AND TONER CARTRIDGES

It does – and I’ll tell you why.

Every ink and toner cartridge has a shelf life. The expiration date will give an indication of when the ink has surpassed its life cycle, after which, it may no longer be viable.

This is important because ink composition changes with time. The ink undergoes a chemical breakdown and coagulates into less of a liquid and more of a sludge. This affects not only the print quality but can cause damage to your printer.

Similarly, the fine toner powder in toner cartridges will experience degradation over a prolonged period past its expiration date. Toner cartridges typically have more lasting power than ink cartridges but the deterioration over time is inevitable.

What causes this decline in quality?

Toner powder contains electrically charged particles than can be merged prematurely when exposed to warmth and moisture. This transforms the fine powder into a soggy consistency which in turn affects the photosensitivity of the toner. The resulting effect are clumps of particles that are ill-equipped for laser printing.

For this reason, we don’t buy expired inkjet and toner cartridges.

TONER BOX STYLES MEAN A LOT

You’re thinking, how can something so seemingly superficial as the box style give you any useful information, right? The thing is, ink and toner manufacturers redesign their packaging every 3-5 years. This face lift is a good indication that the expiration date of the toner is approaching or is already way passed it.

So, the design life cycle of the box that the cartridge comes in can be used as a gauge for the shelf life of the toner.In effect, cartridges that are about 6-8 years past their expiration dates are likely to be unfit for printing.

Apart from the style of the packaging, there are other external markers that are important for the toner buyback process such as the toner model number.

WHY THE TONER MODEL NUMBER MATTERS

The model number on the toner is essentially it’s fingerprint. It consists of a series of numbers and letters that will tell you about the configuration of the ink cartridge. You will find this figure stamped somewhere on the exterior of the packaging.

You’re wondering, what sort of information is encoded in a toner model number?Well, it may vary for different brands of ink but generally, it indicates the color composition of the cartridge, it’s ink capacity, as well as its regional origin.

Why is this data important?

When you enlist your cartridges for the toner buyback program, this is what we use to provide accurate price quotes for your supplies. If you neglect to mention the model number, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a quote that is appropriate for the actual value of the cartridge.

For example, you may have an ink or toner cartridge that is eligible for the 100% awarded payment but without this marker, we have no way of identifying its true worth.

TONER BUYER PRICE LIST

Have you ever wondered who sets the buyback prices for ink and toner cartridges?Is there some governing body who establishes a universally acceptable formula for pricing each toner model?

Not exactly.

The prices are solely up to the individual companies who offer toner buyback programs.The secondary surplus toner market has no regulations which leaves room for businesses to set their own standards and create their own algorithms for pricing.

Typically, the factors they consider includes:

Rate of demand and supply
Inventory forecasting
Cost and sale price

There may be other determinants that are unique to each company and the customers that they cater to.

HIGHEST BUYBACK PRICES FOR TONER CARTRIDGES

We’ve seen that the prices will be indicative of the individual company’s formula.However, we believe that the companies who try to be everything to everyone are likely to fall short.

In other words, you want to deal with a company that focuses on a single aspect of the toner industry. This sort of niche marketing gives businesses the power to master the needs of their core customer base.

If a company is laser focused on only buying surplus and unused toner cartridges, they will most likely provide the best prices for your supplies.

Why so?

The more of a niche market that you occupy, the more margin you have to get to know your ideal customers so that you can best gratify their needs.

On the other hand, there are businesses who have their hands in every pot.

With their focus on everything from ink supplies to electronic recyclables, they have less time to carefully craft the best price for every item. In fact, their priority would likely be how fast they can turnover the inventory that is coming in from all directions.

With that said, if you want to sell your ink cartridges for the highest buyback prices, ensure that you use a company with a demonstrated presence in the niche surplus toner market. You want to avoid getting taken advantage of by a toner buyer scam artist.

A RECAP

There’s no doubt that there’s a unique opportunity to benefit from unused toners.An additional revenue stream and less printing overhead are just a few of the many advantages.

But before you decide to sell your ink and toner cartridges, you need to know how much they’re worth and who’s willing to pay the most for them.

The key takeaways here?

OEM cartridges are the superior type of toners and the only type that we accept.
The better the condition of your factory sealed boxes, the better the price that you will command.
If you provide your toner model number, you will receive a more accurate quote for your ink supplies.
The buyback price will depend on the individual company.
You can expect a higher buyback price from companies who have solidified themselves as niche experts.

Once you’ve established that you’re ready to cash in on your surplus ink supplies, the above guidelines give a simple system to help you secure the best possible deal.

4 Reasons Why Toner Buyback Programs Are Better Than Toner Recycling

If you have an unused toner cartridge, it might be tempting to just throw it away.

Though, according to the EPA, it takes up to three quarts of oil to make a single printer cartridge and the plastic that cartridges contain can take generations to decompose in a landfill.

On top of that, ink from cartridges can leak and pollute the environment.

Certainly there’s a better way.

There are definitely benefits of recycling ink cartridges, so you may be tempted to turn to toner recycling programs. But those actually have a number of setbacks if your cartridge is unused and unopened in its original packaging.

You may not be able to make as much money on them by recycling, the reuse process has its limits and many reclaim programs can’t be done completely online.

Below we’ll look in depth at these issues and explore why a toner buyback program is your best bet for unused and unopened cartridges.

It’s easy money

We live in a world that tells us there’s really no such thing as easy money. But if you have unused toner cartridges, it is a way to make some quick cash in a fast and easy manner.

Our process for selling toner cartridges really couldn’t be any easier. You simply fill out a form detailing the brand of the toner, the toner model number and the quantity.

Someone gets back to you offering what we can pay for your toner cartridges. If you accept, we pay via PayPal or company check through mail.

It really is quick cash in your pocket.

On the other hand, many of the traditional recycling programs offer more limited means of reimbursement.

For instance, Best Buy gives a $2 store coupon and 15 percent off ink purchases through the My Best Buy loyalty program. Customers are also limited to five cartridges under this offer, and only one coupon can be used for every $40 of new ink or toner.

Staples gives back $2 in Staples Rewards for each cartridge turned in, if you’ve spent a minimum of $30 on ink or toner over the last 180 days. Toner recycling is far from the easy cash of a buyback program.

There are limits to recycling toner cartridges

While there are benefits of recycling ink cartridges, reuse programs also work best for used cartridges. If a program uses closed-loop recycling, like HP’s ink cartridge program, it makes no sense for a perfectly good cartridge.

Closed-loop recycling simply means that raw materials from old cartridges are broken down to be used in new ones. A great idea for used cartridges, not so much for unopened, pristine ones.

The County of Kaua’i’s governmental website describes what happens to used cartridges the county receives: they are sent off for re-manufacture, meaning they’re disassembled, inspected, repaired, put back together, filled and inspected again.

It simply wouldn’t be logical to submit an unused cartridge to such a process.

There are limits to recycling

Reusing products makes sense most of the time, like when you’re done with a milk carton or you’re done reading a physical newspaper because you’re old school like that. But recycling itself does have some drawbacks.

Reutilizing plastic, one of the main components in an ink cartridge, isn’t the infinite process you’d think it is. That’s because plastic has fibers, like paper, which shorten each time something is recycled.

The Auckland Council states that plastic can be reused about seven to nine times before it becomes too degraded.

Granted, one of the benefits of recycling ink cartridges is that it’s much better to get those seven to nine lives out of plastic, rather than just consigning it to a long lifetime in a landfill right off the bat. But that doesn’t mean it would make sense to go reclaiming unused products willy-nilly.

Then there are political forces that get in the way of reusing products. Back in 2013 it was reported that much of U.S. plastic wasn’t actually getting recycled.

That was because China put up what’s called the “Green Fence” in an effort to reduce pollution.

It’s a policy that bans import of anything but the most highly organized and most clean bales of reusable trash. Some types of trash are banned completely.

That means recycling has to happen here, rather than shipping it to cheap labor overseas. Considering how many products are produced in China, the old system would have reusable materials sorted out of our trash overseas and rerouted right back into the manufacturing of goods.

Resin from our plastic materials is especially valuable in the manufacturing process. This meant China actually used two-thirds of the U.S.’s used plastic each year, which accounted for billions of dollars.

Yet it wasn’t a perfect situation. Anything that couldn’t be used was put in China’s trash mountains and many of the recycling processors would pollute heavily, despite being part of the reuse model.

This isn’t to shame the recycling industry. It doesn’t mean that reusing materials is senseless, and we should just ditch it as a system.

What tricky foreign affairs means is an opportunity for domestic efforts to take up the slack, creating jobs and other business opportunities. So that is one of the benefits of recycling ink cartridges.

Yet it’s more of a reason to not put stress on the sometimes-fragile recycling industry. Especially when selling gets you straight cash, and the process itself can be so easy.

It gives toner “new life”

We’re definitely proponents of recycling used toner instead of throwing it away. When it comes to new unopened toner though, it just makes more sense to sell it to a toner buyback company.

You’re not only preventing it from going through the arduous process of recycling but also allowing it to be sold to someone else who needs and will use the toner.

Chances are, they’ll even be purchasing the printer toner at less than retail price.

It’s a win-win for everyone.

Selling toner can be done online

Many toner recycling programs also require you to drop off your cartridges at a physical location.

A search through the popular cartridge recycling program database at Earth911 simply yields a list of addresses, mostly at electronics, office or toner stores. Many listings state that you should call for further information.

But with Toner Connect, you simply fill out your form detailing what you have, get your offer and approve the offer. Then you’ll receive a pre-paid shipping label through email to print.

Simply ship us your toner cartridges for free and your cash is on its way. So if you have unused toner cartridges, get selling today!

Why Recycling Your Toner Cartridges Revitalizes Your Wallet and Environment

These days we don’t even pay attention to the fact that we recycle literally on a daily basis.

Every garbage service has the option for a can by your home (or office) to throw in your pop cans, plastic and paper, and then you forget about it. Recycling’s easy now.

Back then it was a bit of a headache, because we weren’t used to it. Now we toss it and forget it. Who knew there was a way to get your toner cartridges recycling, and not just recycling like your everyday plastic, but recycled and benefiting you with cash?

That’s the ticket. Imagine throwing away all your pop bottles and getting money in return. Sure, you get exactly that by turning in pop bottles at the grocery store…. But this is different.

And then you get that little slip with the amount of cans or bottles you’ve recycled. 2 bucks maybe. You’re overjoyed, and you should be.

The difference between that and toner cartridges recycling is the fact that you get so much more, in real cash, via the eCycle Group, a service managing everything from the collection of the ink and toner cartridges to the actual payment process.

You need to keep in mind that the ink and toner business is total money. Ink’s a hot commodity, so it would stand to reason that the cartridges go for a lot as well.

Businesses and manufacturers will pay big money to get those replacements. Saves on cost to manufacture the cartridges. Saves on cost for filling up those cartridges with new ink.

Recycling Empty Toner Cartridges

How do you recycle your empty ink cartridges? It’s not as simply as throwing them into the recycle bin, honestly. Many municipalities have the service available, and you just have to do the research for it.

However, services like the eCycle Group and Empties4Cash.com make it very simply. If you can read instruction manuals, you’re pretty much set.

Most laser or inkjet cartridges will actually have specific instructions written on the side. Read them. You’ll often find instructions on packaging materials as well as information on where to get free postage – because, after all, you don’t want to have to pay just to recycle them.

With that put aside, the real information is in the benefit beyond that of the environment. This industry’s chock full of money, and the fact is this: cartridges can be recycled and refilled up to six times before they’re rendered unusable.

That’s good news both for the environment, your pocket book, and the bottom line of many manufacturers.

So you can do yourself a favor and find via the Internet numerous services like the couple we’ve mentioned already designed to offer prepaid free shipping or even pickup of your used cartridges, and here’s the real bonus – you may find a service that’ll pay up to $4 per cartridge.

That’s giving you some ROI for your efforts in not only contributing to the environment, but even keeping ink, toner and printing costs down.

Just be sure to check the list of cartridges any service will accept and make sure yours are in line with that list. Don’t make that a priority, and it might actually cost you (it’s true – some services will actually penalize you for offering cartridges that are unacceptable for them).

The ability to get toner cartridges recycling on a daily basis offers benefits for everything from churches, to businesses, to fundraisers – to even schools.

It can even be used as a way to donate proceeds to any nonprofit organization of your choice, hence you get the fantastic tax deduction to go with it.

Toner Recycling Benefits

We’re beating a dead horse, obviously, but we can’t stress it enough: the environment. After all, ink cartridges are plastic and petroleum-based. They take literally a century to decompose.

That means our Earth, if we threw out all of our printer cartridges into landfills, would be filled to the brim of them for a full 1K years before finally decomposing, and you better believe:

We’ll pile on the empty toner and ink cartridges faster than they can decompose! As of now, only about 20% to 40% of ink cartridges get recycled, leaving a paltry 60% to 80% ending up in landfills.

We can reduce that count to zero, diverting literally millions of cubic feet of waste and saving taxpayers millions of dollars in landfill management expenses.

When it comes to toner cartridges recycling, that’s well worth the time and effort to simply contact any one of those services and get your empty cartridges taken care of without any hassle.

Sure, it’s a little more legwork than throwing a cartridge in the trash. But remember: you’re getting some money, some benefit, in the long run for doing it. The economy will see a surge, particular in the ink and toner business.

And certainly your printer will be much happier for it. For more insight on the ink and toner business, feel free to explore our content, and if you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask.

The ink and toner business is a massive frontier, and it’ll only get bigger and more reliable. Why?

Think about it: after all this time, out of all the advancements we’ve made in business, the one thing that has relatively stayed the same – is printing!

Sustainability in Business: How to Recycle Unwanted IT Equipment

Business sustainability is an ideal that many organizations seek as part of their long term goals. In the same realm, electronic waste has become nothing short of a crisis in the corporate world.

But what does e-waste have to do with sustainability in business?

The United Nations reports that 20-50 million metric tons of e-waste is discarded every year. Any electronic equipment that has been thrown away like computers, cell phones, and printers fall into that category.

Businesses are responsible for a sizeable percentage of the world’s electronic waste and it’s not a difficult task to imagine why. For this reason, recycling of computers, printers, cell phones, and other IT equipment should be an integral part of a business’ sustainability agenda.

If your organization seeks to make a real shift in that direction, e-waste recycling is the first and most consequential move.

Why Recycling Of Electronic Equipment Matters

Most people, including business owners, harbor several misconceptions about what sustainability really is.

Is it all about the environment? Not at all.

It is an expensive agenda to push? Certainly not.

Is it more hassle than it’s worth? It’s a small effort for a large reward.

There is a distinct economic advantage for businesses who espouse a culture of sustainability throughout their daily operations.

The initiative is geared towards meeting the triple bottom line of a business, namely:

● Financial

● Ecological/Environmental

● Social

So why is the recycling of electronic equipment the best way to contribute to that triple bottom line?

The answers lie with the many benefits of e-waste recycling:

1. Save Money For Your Business: There are several organizations who have made e-waste their business. They collect all end-of-cycle IT equipment and some provide a cash back. This extra money can be used to finance replacement tech for your business or any other financial goals.

The fiscal benefits also extend to the Tech Industry. According to James Allen, Director of EPEAT, if the recycling of gold, silver, and platinum increases to 100%, the Electronic Sector will have a 12 billion dollar financial and natural capital advantage.

2. Create Employment: Out of the 90 % of recyclable e waste, only 12.5 % is recycled. If that gap were to be bridged, companies who recycle and refurbish old electronics would require an increase in manpower. This would result in a rise in job creation on a mass scale.

3. Conserve Natural Resources: The valuable materials collected from recycled electronics can go towards creating other products.

For example, palladium is a metal that can be used to create surgical instruments, watches, and other electronics. Copper, silver, and gold are among the other precious metals that can be recovered.

4. Protect The Health of The Environment: Toxic elements like mercury, chromium, and lead can find their way into the environment when electronics are not recycled the right way. This has grave repercussions for public health.

5. Support The Less Fortunate: Naturally, businesses want superior technology to increase their output and maximize their efficiency. The outdated technologies can be refurbished and donated to schools, nonprofits, and others who need it.

What Equipment Can Be Recycled?

We’ve already pinpointed the recycling of electronics as one of the primary means of achieving sustainability in business. But, there are many layers and nuances to e-waste recycling.

Here’s a basic hierarchy:

Repair and remanufacture of entire units – Many electronics are disposed when they only have a simple malfunction. These problems can usually be fixed to extend the life cycle of the entire unit.

Reuse of what’s functional – In some cases, the electronic in it’s entirety may not be viable but some components can still be used. Your business can also donate unwanted computers to an organization like World Computer Exchange that will get them in the hands of those who need it most.

Recycling of what cannot be repaired – If certain parts or whole electronic units are beyond repair, they can be recycled to salvage the valuable materials.

Responsible disposal of what can’t be recycled or reused – About 10 % of e-waste cannot be recycled. Every effort should be made to get these disposed in the proper disposal sites so hazardous elements like lead don’t make its way into our water and airways.

A List Of Recyclable IT Equipment and Their Components:

This list is by no means exhaustive but these are the common ones relevant to businesses. They include:

● Desktop and Laptop Computers

● Monitors, Televisions, and Other Display Devices

● Keyboards, mouses, and other computer accessories

● Printers, photocopying machines, and Ink/Toner Cartridges

● Cellphones & Pagers

● Fax Machines and Telephones

● Audio Devices

Is There A Sizeable Market For Recycling Electronics?

The prolific e-waste problem has led to the emergence of many waste management and electronic recycling organizations.

Let’s get into the solutions that are out there.

1. Take Back Programs – A plethora of businesses and manufacturers have their own recycling initiatives where you can turn in unwanted electronics.

Many offer rewards like gift cards, credit, and cash. Some of the notable programs include:

● Staples Technology Trade In

● Sony’s Take Back Program

● LG Electronics Recycling Program

● Dell’s Reconnect Initiative

● Best Buy’s E waste Trade In

● Samsung’s Recycling Direct

2. Many States Have Their Own E- Recycling Solutions – Your business can conduct a local search to find the programs that have been put in place for your particular state or city. Kansas city, for example, has an e-waste grant program. A simple google search would be “E Waste Recycling [Name of Your State/City]”.

3. Donations To Nonprofit Organizations – Organizations like EWaste4Good help businesses to donate their electronics with ease. It’s a simple process where they come to your place of business to collect the unwanted equipment at no charge.

3. Professional E Waste Disposal Facilities – There are companies with specific licensure for the proper disposal of e-waste. For instance, The Coalition for American Electronics Recycling (CAER) has more than 130 companies as signed members.

You can also find companies that have been vetted through e-stewards.org.

Wrapping It Up

E-waste is a critical problem both in the corporate world and on the global scene. However, if every business looked at their sustainability initiative as a way to contribute to their business’ bottom line, the problem would be half solved.

Take a look at the specific electronic use and subsequent wastage in your organization and select the recycling methods that best suit your needs. The solutions are there and the benefits to your business are clear.

How Long Should Ink Cartridges Last?

One of the main questions people will ask when they purchase ink cartridges is how long the cartridge will last. To answer this question properly, you must first look at different aspects of the cartridge. Understanding this information will help you determine how long you should expect ink cartridges to last.

Why Does Cartridge Size Matter?

The first thing to look at is the actual size of the ink cartridge. Ink cartridges come in many different sizes.

There are even several different sizes available for one particular brand and model of printer. Larger cartridges could give you better value and last longer.

When you are looking at this information, make sure you keep an eye on the volume of the cartridge rather than the capacity

Choosing a cartridge that has a higher volume will naturally last longer than one with a lower volume.

CartridgeWorld , if your cartridge is an all-in-one model, you can expect for it to run out faster than if the colors were separate. Most of the time, when a color runs out in one of these cartridges, it will stop working altogether.

How Does your Printer Affect the Cartridge?

Your printer and how often you print could also be an indicator of how long your ink cartridge will last.

According to WiseGeek , different types of printers and print jobs require different types of ink.

Many printers are limited on the size of cartridges and only offer one solution. If this is the case, the
overall quality and performance of your printer could determine the lifespan of your cartridge.

For example, lower quality printers often have a lower capacity cartridge to go along with them. This will cause them to not last as long.

Likewise, if you print frequently, you can expect to run out of ink sooner rather than later.

The amount of printing you do on your printer is a key factor in how long your cartridge will last as is the type of documents you print.

Printing high-quality color photos will drain an ink cartridge much faster than printing black and white documents.

Surprisingly, there are actually things you can do to make your ink cartridges last longer. In fact, you can learn quite a few tips from the Frugal Living website.

When it comes to maintaining your cartridges, start by allowing the printer to clean the nozzles and print heads every time you change out a cartridge.

This will help you avoid clogs, which could affect your print quality and make it harder for an ink cartridge to function properly.

In addition to this, make sure you use your ink cartridge regularly. Avoiding use of your printer could cause some of the ink to dry up or for clogs to occur.

This could mean you will need to run the printer through its cleaning system, which will use up more of the ink.

If you are experiencing an issue with ink residue, a damp cloth can sometimes be the answer. However, you will want to check with the manufacturer’s suggestions for this issue because some cartridges may require a different type of maintenance.

For those planning to store their ink cartridges, you should make sure they are stored in a place that is dark and dry.

You will also want to take note of the expiration dates so that you make sure you use them before that time. Turning the cartridges on their side is also the best decision because it can help keep clogs from occurring.

According to ColorTonerExpert, there are several other things you can do to store your cartridges properly. Here are some of the top tips they suggest:

1.) Avoid touching the print head

2.) Keep the Tape

3.) Know the shelf-life

4.) Keep it in the package

5.) Avoid the light as well as heat

Can you Revive a “Dead” Cartridge?

When your ink cartridge runs out of ink, one of the first things you may attempt to do is shake the cartridge.

For some cartridges, this could allow you to print several more pages of print. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

This is actually a tactic that can be easily used for toner cartridges, which are filled with powder instead of regular ink.

Over time, the powder can become lodged in the cartridge and shaking it could dislodge some of it.

For other types of cartridges that use ink rather than powder, it is much less likely that you will be able to revive a cartridge by shaking it.

Sometimes, however, it is possible to print a few more pages by simply cleaning around the area where the ink is dispersed.

You can also try this trick to unclog an inkjet cartridge.

This is all information that can help you determine how long you should expect your ink cartridge to last.

The important thing to remember is that you should follow the instructions the manufacturer gives you in order to give it the longest lifespan.

In the end, following this information can allow you to get the most value from the ink cartridges you purchase.

How Do Toner Cartridges Work?

One of the interesting aspects of laser printers and copiers is the toner.
Rather than the printer applying ink, the paper actually “grabs” the toner.
The toner itself is not ink, but rather an electrically-charged powder made of plastic and pigment.

How does toner work?

The two ingredients of toner, plastic and pigment, each have a simple role in the printing process.

The pigment provides the color, while the plastic allows the pigment to stick to the paper when the plastic is heated and melts.

The melting process gives laser toner an advantage over ink, in that it binds firmly to the paper fibers, resisting smudges and bleeding.

This also provides an even, vivid tone that helps text appear sharp on paper.

Another advantage of toner is the cost. Offices usually choose laser printers because the cost of replacing the toner cartridges is less than inkjet printer cartridges, and laser printers tend to cost only slightly more than inkjet printers.

Anatomy of a toner cartridge

The design of a toner cartridge varies with different models and manufacturers, but the following components are commonly found in most toner cartridges.

Toner hopper:The small container which houses the toner

Seal:A removable strip that prevents toner from spilling before installation

Doctor blade: Helps control the precise amount of toner that is distributed to the developer

Developer:Transfers toner to the OPC drum

Waste bin:Collects residual toner wiped from the OPC drum

Wiper blade:Wipes away residual toner applied to the page

Primary charge roller (PCR):Applies a uniform negative to the OPC drum prior to laser-writing. It also erases the laser image

Organic photo-conductor (OPC) drum:holds an electrostatic image and transfers toner onto the paper

Drum shutter:protects the drum from light when outside the machine and retracts the drum into the printer

How does the cartridge work?

In most cartridges, the toner hopper, developer and drum assembly are all part of the replaceable cartridge unit.

When an image or text is being printed on paper, the printer gathers toner from the hopper with the developer.

The developer, composed of negatively-charged magnetic beads attached to a metal roller, moves through the hopper gathering toner.

The developer collects positively-charged toner particles and brushes them past the drum assembly.

The electrostatic image on the drum has a stronger negative charge than the beads on the developer, so the toner is pulled from the developer onto the drum.

Next, the drum moves over the paper. The paper has an even stronger negative charge than the drum, and pulls the toner particles off of the drum in the shape of the electrostatic image.

Next, the paper is discharged by the detac corona wire.

At this point, gravity is the only thing keeping the toner in place. In order to affix the toner, the paper needs to pass through the fuser rollers, which are heated by internal quartz tube lamps.

The heat melts the plastic in the toner particles, causing the toner to be absorbed into the paper fibers.

Although the melted plastic sticks to the paper, it does not adhere to the heated fuser rollers.

This is possible because the rollers are coated with Teflon, the same material that helps food slide out of non-stick frying pans.

Color vs. Monochrome Printing

Color toner works essentially the same way as monochrome toner, except the process is repeated for each of the toner colors.

The standard toner colors are cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black. The black is needed because the three primary colors (red, yellow and blue) can be combined to form any color except black.

The reason for this is black is not technically a color, but the complete absence of color.

These four toner colors, when combined at varying levels of saturation and lightness, can produce millions of different shades and hues.

This quick guided tour of toner cartridges should help provide a basic understanding of how they work.

The current technology of toner cartridges has allowed laser printers to dominate the office printing market.

In the years to come, new designs of toner cartridges promise to provide more efficient and cost-effective solutions for office and home printing.

3 Easy Ways to Store Your Toner Cartridges

How to Store Your Toner Cartridges

An ongoing expense with printers and copiers are toner cartridges. Consumers are always looking for ways to get the most out of their ink.

Do experts have any recommendations on how to store toner cartridges? Believe it or not, toner cartridges do have a shelf life and how a back up cartridge is stored does matter.

Ink professionals also have tips on how to get the most out of your printer cartridge.

Expiration Date

Contributors to toner.wikia.com widely agree that the majority of toner cartridges have a shelf life of about 18-24 months, regardless of whether it is newly manufactured or a refilled cartridge.

However,Hewlett-Packard boasts that their newly manufactured cartridges have an unlimited shelf life with no expiration date.

Despite Hewlett-Packard’s claim, their own forum support experts advise that if you have a cartridge tucked away as a back up, if it sits for too long it may perform poorly.

This doesn’t mean that toner goes bad on the specific date mentioned in an expiration date, but manufacturers suggest that for optimum quality it is advisable to use the product before that date arrives.

There is also a difference between shelf life and usage life. The 18-24 month period takes that into account. It is best to get the toner off the shelf within one year of manufacture and put it into use.

Although it is entirely possible that a toner cartridge can work perfectly long after the suggested use by date, manufacturers, in order to guarantee quality, set the bar according to the quality test results that establish how time affects toner cartridge performance.

When the time threshold is met where tested cartridges consistently begin performing below brand standards, an expiration guideline is created to reflect that.

Storage Recommendations

Technology bloggers warn that toner cartridges have three enemies: moisture, heat and light.

Heat and direct sunlight will kill a cartridge, causing the toner to fuse, resulting in an inability to bond to paper.

Excessive exposure to light erases the photosensitive properties contained within the toner.

Moisture will cause toner to become soggy, perhaps even grow mildew, making the cartridge completely unfit for use. Follow these guidelines for proper toner cartridge storage:

a.) Store in a cool, dry location.
b.) Do not leave in direct sunlight or rooms with constant, bright, artificial light.
c.) 75 degrees Fahrenheit is an ideal storage temperature.
d.) 50 percent relative humidity is an ideal storage condition.
e.) Never leave in a car for any length of time.
f.) Never store in a basement that is too cool or damp.

Toner Tips

Expected number of printed pages from a toner is analogous to the expected gas mileage of a car.

Just as many factors can affect fuel efficiency, the same can be said for toner cartridges.

We have all probably done the toner cartridge shake to get a few more pages printed. However, there is much more that can be done to extend the lifespan of your cartridge.

Here are some tips from industry experts to help you get the most out of your toner cartridge:

a.) Font selection: Limit printouts of heavy, large, bold graphics. Consider a bold, large outline if you need impressive graphics.
Otherwise choose a smaller font that is eco-friendly. There are Ecofonts that can save about twenty percent of your ink when printing as compared to standard fonts.These fonts are available through free, easy downloads straight to your own computer.

b.) Don’t print unless you have to.

c.) Lighten ink shade to gray instead of default black when printing in black and white.

d.) Turn printer on and off manually. The manual buttons activate the printer to park cartridges in the proper position that protects the cartridge from drying out prematurely.

e.) Avoid electricity disruption when printing. Electrical disruptions cause the printer to perform a cleaning cycle that uses up ink unnecessarily.

f.) Always use the print preview option to double check exactly what is about to print to avoid printing mistakes.

g.) Proofread and avoid having to reprint a page because of mistakes that require correction.

h.) Only print necessary graphics. For example, if you are printing inter-office communication such as emails, much of what will print is not necessary. Better to copy and paste text only rather than print out unnecessary graphics and text.

i.) Choose “draft output” if you don’t need a high quality printout.

j.) If a printer has any “toner saver” option, use it. Smart settings have the potential of saving up to 30 percent of toner.

k.) Use software designed for “green” printing. There are free versions available online for an easy download.

l.) When printing from online sources use an online editor option that will eliminate any ads that might print with the text you have selected.

m.) Select printer settings that require less ink such as reducing resolution.

n.) Opt for re-manufactured toner cartridges rather than new.

o.) Try to refill your own toner cartridge with some of the do-it-yourself products available or take them to a reputable company for refill.

p.) Re-sell your old toner cartridges to a refill and re-manufacture company.

Although anyone who uses a printer will always have the ongoing expense of replacing toner cartridges, it doesn’t have to break the bank. Proper storage and clever printing techniques can go a long way toward effective savings.

Three Most Common Methods Used to Refill Toner Cartridges

A toner cartridge is a very important part of a printer. It is very significant to the working of a laser printer. Purchasing one can however prove very expensive.

Finding the right model may also be a daunting task. As a result, many people tend to opt for refills. One thing to note about the same is that toner cartridges are very delicate.

And there is a slight chance you might miss.

The recommendation often given is to leave the task to a trained professional. But really there is no need for that if you can as well know how to go about it?

Below are the three most common methods used to refill toner cartridges. The guide will surely help you avoid the mess.

But first, let’s start with a typical framework of a toner cartridge then look at the refill kits and later have the common practical & procedural approaches.

Most toner cartridges bear integrated compartments that serve to hold the toner, control it as well as monitor the circuitry

They also feature large drums and one or more smaller rollers. Some cartridges have additional features, but most of them bear the top and bottom body parts.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) toner cartridges are hard to refill. They are by design not supposed to be refilled by persons who are not professionals.

However, as earlier indicated, this is not impossible. Refill kits vary in sizes, types and models. Also, some are provided with toners and tools necessary for opening and cleaning.

On the other hand others are accompanied by the toner and a syringe.

It is important therefore to look for the refill kit based on the model and type of toner cartridge. It is crucial to specify for instance, if you are looking for a refill kit for a HP Laser Jet 5.

Other tools you need to try and have include: screwdriver, cleaning supplies as well as rubber gloves.

The Toner Refill Approaches

1. Full Service Method

Begin by disassembling the toner cartridge. While at it, wear rubber gloves. Each part of the body should have its own set of screws. Store the screws well after removing them.

Pull the plates of either sides of the toner cartridge straight off. Jiggle the two halves of the cartridge gently back and forth to pull them apart.

Remove the large colored drum from the now open body then pull out the smaller roller behind it. This should reveal a tinny thin strip of metal.

Remove the screws before lifting the strip of metal out with the relevant tool, often a needle-nose plier or tweezers. You should take care not to bend the metal.

At this point, the old toner should be visible in the partition under the strip. Dumb the toner out and clean using canned air or a spirit-soaked piece of cloth.

Then replace the piece of metal and the cartridge rollers in the correct order they were before disassembling. This should come after carefully cleaning all the other components.

Also, cleaning the drum properly will contribute to improved performance.

Next, remove the thin roller on the other half of the cartridge. This is such that it is much easier to dump the toner powder from the body and to clean out the compartment with the air can.

Again, this will reveal a narrow outlet next to a familiar-looking metal strip. The opening leads to a toner reservoir.

You should then be able to pour the powder into the gap using the included funnel. Feel free to make a panel funnel in case one was not included in the refill kit and use it to direct the toner powder.

Fill the reservoir until it begins to overflow. Move the nozzle from one side to another to make the toner even.

Next, clean the roller, snap it back into place, and thoroughly wipe down the surrounding area to remove any excess powder.

Finally, reassemble the body parts and end the plates. All parts should snap back into place smoothly with minimal force.

Then, clean stray toner discovered in the crevasses and reinsert back all screws. Once the toner cartridge is reassembled, ensure that the drum rotates smoothly.

2. Quick Puncture Method

Some refill kits are designed to let the user refill his/her toner without even disassembling the cartridge. They include a special puncture bit that can be placed in a common drill even though some people use soldering irons

With these tools, the user must make a hole toward the rear of the cartridge where the toner reservoir is.

After the hole is made, the toner powder should be poured straight in with the funnel. Finally about this, the opening should be sealed with duct tape or a purpose-made plug.

Shaking the cartridge from side to side helps distribute the toner evenly.

3. Toner Refill Level Circuitry

Some cartridges have an additional refill step. This is the level circuitry. It comes after either of the steps above.

Some devices have toner level-sensing chips, users often have to slide the old chip out of its mount and replace it so that the printer recognizes that the cartridge is full.

Perhaps next time you call in the expert, stand by, and with this in mind, you won’t have to call him/her again and by extension you will without a doubt save some bucks

But until then enjoy your printing experience and of course we wish you all the best.