Act on C02

In 2008 the United Kingdom Cartridge Remanufacturers Association employed Dr Michael Gell of Xanfeon Energy and Environmental Services to carry out a study comparing the Carbon Footprints between Original Printer Cartridges, Short Life Remanufactured Printer Cartridges and Long Life Remanufactured Printer Cartridges.

A Summery of Dr Gell's study is shown below.

PROJECT: Carbon Footprints and Ecodesign of Toner Printer Cartridges

Report
Author: Dr. Michael Gell, Xanfeon, Energy & Environmental Services
Date: December 2008

• A study has been made of carbon footprints of short-life and long-life toner cartridges, comparing the carbon footprints of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacture) cartridges with those of corresponding remanufactured cartridges.
• The carbon footprints have been evaluated on the basis of actual profiles of components replaced during remanufacturing cycles.
• In the case of short-life cartridges, the percentage saving in carbon footprint through repeated recycling cycles is about 25 to 40% compared with that of using the equivalent number of new cartridges.
• In the case of long life cartridges, the avoidable carbon footprint achieved through use of remanufactured cartridges rises to about 60%.
• Scaled across world markets, potential savings in CO2 emissions associated with the use of long-life cartridges are estimated to be about 0.4 Mtonnes CO2 worldwide / year.
• It is recommended that ecodesign opportunities for long-life cartridges are examined in the development of extended producer responsibility legislation, such as the European EuP Directive.
• The avoidable carbon footprint (about 60% of carbon footprint) is a useful metric for customers choosing to purchase long-life remanufactured cartridges in favor of new ones.

The complete 22 page "Carbon Footprint Study" is available in PDF format.
Request a Copy here