Many underdeveloped countries have environmental laws that are quite lax, if they exist at all. It has been shown that many of the mobile phones and ink cartridges collected for recycling have been sent to these countries and dumped into a landfill. This, of course, is defeating the entire purpose. Watchdog groups are aware of this practice and are doing something about it. Fortunately, the number of items being sent to landfills has decreased but more can be done. When you recycle an ink cartridge or mobile phone, try to find a reputable company that isn’t part of the landfill scheme.
One company that has turned its recycling programme into a beneficial programme is HP. The mammoth manufacturer routinely uses post consumer plastics toward its Planet Partners Programme. The programme allows HP to reduce ink cartridges to their base of raw materials that can be remanufactured and reused in other products, including ink cartridges.
HP has shown that the amount of recycled material present in a new ink cartridge could range from 70-100% post consumer waste. If HP is able to use 100% recycled plastic in remanufacturing ink cartridges, the amount of resources saved is staggering. (Not to mention all of the cartridges kept out of landfill sites.) According to HP, the company has remanufactured over 200 million cartridges, and in 2007, it has utilised over five million pounds of recycled plastic. The goal for 2008 is 10 million pounds.
For more information on Planet Partners, visit HP.com
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