How to recycle empty print cartridges in your company?

Did you know that the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) regulations of 15 August 2018 require print cartridges to be recycled? Companies producing or selling this type of device are required by law to set up a recovery and recycling service for this waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). This is known as EPR: extended producer responsibility.

5 steps to set up a collection in your company :

Waste recycling is an important element of a CSR policy for companies. The challenge is to implement a suitable and certified system to intelligently reduce waste and get employees involved in working toward sustainable development. Want to set up a cartridge collection service in your company? Here are the steps you need to take.

STEP 1: Assess the volume and types of cartridges used in the company

List the types and quantities of cartridges you use on a daily basis: inkjet, laser toner, photocopier drums, etc. This will allow you to get a better understanding of your needs and to address them to the right treatment providers.

STEP 2: consult empty cartridge collection service providers

Thanks to the inventory that you have made beforehand based on the quantities used, you will have all the necessary information ready to help you select the best offer and the best service provider for your specific needs.

Here are some questions you should ask to help you choose your provider:

1. What consumables can they process?
2. What tools are available? (dedicated collection boxes, encrypted sorting reports, processing certificates as well as all services related to collection.)
3. Do they provide free or paid collection?
4. What volumes can they handle and are they able to react quickly?

STEP 3: Get employees involved in the collection process

The success of a recycling project is down to the choice of a good system but also to the involvement of employees. To optimally manage your waste, your company should ensure that all employees have a part to play, making them all feel implicated in the process.

Get employees involved by:

• Internal communication: you can communicate internally about the collection of print cartridges on the newsletter, website, emails, CSR report, etc.
• Promote your actions: Highlight figures to show that your actions are making a difference (number of cartridges collected per year, reuse rate, etc.)

STEP 4: Regularly raise staff awareness of waste sorting techniques.

Explain economic and environmental issues to your employees. Plan recurring communications about your collection figures and all your actions in favour of sustainable development. Include this communication in the welcome book for new arrivals.

The objectives of this stage are to make your employees proud to belong to a company that cares about the environment, to strengthen your employer brand image with an internal and external audience and to consolidate internal cohesion with shared objectives.

STEP 5: Sorting and storing your company’s printer consumables

Provide your employees with a sufficient number of well-placed collection boxes. All you have to do is sort and store! This system will enable you to have your cartridges recovered by external organisations or manufacturers who will put them back on the market. If they cannot be reused, the raw materials must be recovered and recycled to give your print cartridges a second life (rulers, pencil pots, etc.)

Armor Office Printing can assist you in your collection process

Did you know that at Armor Office Printing we also produce remanufactured cartridges, and we recover and recycle them. The very essence of our circular economy system:

With OWA collection, in addition to our materials audit service, you will receive all the facts and figures of your collection, with precise information on:

- How the collected material has been processed:

Along with the number of remanufactured or recycled cartridges and their weight, the breakdown of materials recovered as secondary raw materials and for non-reusable and dismantled cartridges.

- An assessment of the reduced impact in terms of CO2 emissions:

This data will enable you to prove the measures you have taken to promote sustainable development, and these figures can then be used in your communications.

This will enable you to better inform your employees about the benefits of collecting printer cartridges. Our environmentally-friendly approach allows us to preserve resources and reduce waste while providing you with quality products.

Would you like Armor Office Printing to assist you in your collection process?