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Printer cartridges recycling scheme 'working down under'
26/11/2007 17:26
An Australian programme which seeks to recycle printer cartridges has been successful in its mission, according to reports.
Cartridges 4 Planet Ark has helped prevent 5.5 million printer cartridges from ending up in landfills across the country, Computerworld reports.
In the past five years since the inception of the scheme, over 17,000 business in Australia have recycled printer cartridges through the programme.
Any printer cartridges that are placed into recycling boxes earmarked for the organisation are diverted to a zero-waste-to-landfill facility to be separated into recyclable components.
Some of the parts can be used again to make items such as outdoor furniture, fencing, bollards or fuel for chemical spill clean-up kits.
Several major office equipment manufacturers sponsor the scheme, such as Lexmark, Hewlett-Packard, Brother, Konica Minolta, Panasonic, Epson and Canon.
At the same time, the publication warns that millions of printer cartridges wind up in landfills each year.
It cites statistics which state that 3,000 tonnes of plastic, 1,500 tonnes of ferrous metals, 400 tonnes of aluminium and various chemicals enter the waste stream as a result.
New guidance was recently published by the Environment Agency which encourages firms to recycle office supplies.
At Paperstone we can supply your firm with a wide selection of printer supplies.
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