Feature

FEATURE RECYCLE or REUSE?

A combination of greater public awareness about single-use plastics and legislation could give fresh impetus to the ink and toner remanufacturing industry – by Andy Braithwaite

When a leading OEM publishes a life cycle analysis (LCA) study for its reused cartridges, is this a sign things might be changing in the world of print consumables?

At the end of last year, HP Inc compared the environmental footprint of its recently developed EvoCycle 26X product – described as its “most sustainable cartridge” – with new build compatible (NBC) items for the same SKU.

Unsurprisingly, the HP-commissioned report found that, in all assessed categories, EvoCycle showed a lower environmental impact than the NBC alternative. HP’s initiative – limited to items sold in France – is nonetheless an exception for the OEM, which recycles the vast majority of the cartridges it collects rather than reuse the empty shells.

One industry source – wishing to remain anonymous – is sceptical. “OEMs are mainly promoting recycling and collection, but not reuse. For decades, they have said that reman cartridges are bad and destroy printers; they can’t just now say reman is good.”

However, for Keli Posch, Clover Imaging’s VP of Marketing and Sustainability, HP is making a move in the right direction. “The study results were positive and hopefully represent HP taking a step forward in embracing a circular economy model which prioritises remanufacturing over recycling whenever possible,” she states.

CHANGING CONSENSUS

Clover itself published a third-party LCA in 2022, comparing one of its remanufactured cartridges with the OEM equivalent. “The result aligns with the rising consensus in the environmental community that recycling alone is not going to solve the global waste challenges we are facing,” says Posch.

“In fact, Greenpeace recently came out with a study saying recycling is ‘a dead-end street’. The way we like to explain it to end users is that recycling is good, but reuse is better. We have seen the [...] recycling centres and they are impressive; but you also see the massive energy expenditure required to break down

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these cartridges when they could be reused multiple times before being recycled.”

Posch adds that Clover is experiencing “an unprecedented amount of interest in remanufactured products” in the US as an alternative to single-use plastic cartridges. She puts this down to a number of reasons, such as: the federal government considering a ban on single-use plastics; the prioritisation of remanufactured products in bid documents; and the growing influence of sustainability departments on purchasing decisions in the private sector.

“In addition, there are the impending environmental reporting requirements from the SEC, as well as private equity and investor pressures,” she notes.

“For us, it’s all about driving awareness with end users and educating them on the value proposition of remanufactured printer cartridges. This includes letting them know their printer warranty cannot be voided if they use our products and that, by switching from OEM to remanufactured cartridges, they can cut their carbon footprint in half.”

LEGISLATION ON THE WAY

In Europe, an important development occurred earlier this year when the European Commission rejected a voluntary agreement for imaging equipment and supplies in favour of implementing regulation – which has to be in place by the end of 2024. It is likely the concept of reusing will be embedded into this legislation. This could change market dynamics, particularly in the public sector.

Javier Martinez, President of the European Toner and Inkjet Remanufacturers Association (ETIRA) believes the new EU rules will be “very ambitious in terms of circularity” and there will be “a clear mandate” to give access to empty cartridges for reuse under “fair conditions”.

It is perhaps with an eye on the forthcoming legislation and growing demand for remans in Europe that China-based print giant Ninestar has been pushing its own remanufacturing operations. In October, the company held a virtual tour of its facility in Zhuhai as it looks to enhance its environmental reputation and remind the market that it has been a remanufacturer for the past 22 years.

Ninestar points to the “many sustainable workplace practices” it has developed in its operations. These include: the use of solar power; investments in wastewater treatment and air-quality improvements; an efficient, automated production line; and recycling of all components which cannot be reused.

CHINESE MISREPRESENTATION?

David Gibbons, Publisher of RT Imaging World, believes China-based suppliers such as Ninestar have been maligned in terms of sustainability. “It is simply not true that they do not care about remanufacturing,” he argues. “China is a pioneer when it comes to promoting a greener, more environmentally safe world.”

Since 2018, via its ‘National Sword’ policy, China has banned the import of e-waste, which includes empty ink and toner cartridges. However, some Chinese companies, mostly the larger ones, have permits to bring used printer cartridges into the country.

“This is monitored very closely,” says Gibbons. “Empties coming from the EU, for example, must be returned to the EU after they have been remanufactured. Hundreds of thousands of empties enter China every month. Some are unable to be remanufactured and these companies have to prove that the plastics and metals are stripped out and recycled – and do not end up in landfill.”

Although Ninestar declined to specify what percentage of the products it ships are remanufactured, in 2021, the number of used toner and inkjet cartridges it collected globally amounted to around 20 million and 18 million, respectively. The company says it partners with local recyclers to collect empties or, in some cases, uses pre-paid envelopes to encourage end users to return them.

What happens to used cartridges in the future remains uncertain. ETIRA is “strongly asking” that empties are not shipped out of Europe and is hoping to see OEMs and remanufacturers working together to avoid single-use consumables as well as help European circular economy goals “reach their full potential”.

It is a point echoed by Clover’s Posch. “In an ideal scenario, OEMs would divert their collections of newer, high-demand cartridges to remanufacturers for reuse, while accepting remanufacturers’ excess collections of lower-demand cartridges for grinding, palletisation and recycling,” she says.

“Properly managed, such an arrangement could be optimised to maximise the joint environmental benefits of remanufacturing and use of recycled plastic content.”

Recycling is good, but reuse is better

More details on the proposed EU legislation referred to in this feature and further reaction by ETIRA can be found on opi.net