Where to put the empty printer cartridges? Unfortunately, we are still a few steps away from a paperless office, although in many areas the switch from analog - i.e. paper and printers - to digital administration has been very successful in recent years. Nevertheless, medium-sized companies collect too many printer cartridges per year, which currently load up to 90% in the residual waste. An enormous quantity - if one assumes approx. 1.32 billion sold ink cartridges & toner each year world-wide. The German Federal Working Group for Environmentally Conscious Management (B.A.U.M. e.V.) estimates the number of printer cartridges sold in Germany alone to be 55 million, and the number of toner cartridges to be 8 million, with an upward trend. An enormous consumption of resources and a not inconsiderable burden on the environment.
For this reason, Rehm Thermal Systems GmbH has long since decided to recycle printer cartridges. The European Toner and Ink Cartridge Recyclers Association (ETIRA) estimates that there are 10,000 companies worldwide that produce recycled printer cartridges and employ 65,000 people. In Europe alone, 2,000 to 3,000 companies professionally remanufacture printer cartridges. Remanufacturing printer cartridges not only reduces plastic waste, but also produces significantly less carbon dioxide (CO2) than manufacturing new cartridges. The recycling service provider INTERSEROH Product Cycle GmbH collects, sorts and cleans empty printer cartridges and is a partner of well-known international refill companies, pursuing a clear goal: avoiding waste and conserving resources and raw materials.
