California based company Cartridge World has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer. Tom Fricke, former executive for The Home Depot and other Fortune 500 companies in the U.S., will take over the reins of the fastest growing ink cartridge refiller with the aim of escalating the company's standing in the $80 billion printer cartridge industry. Additionally, Fricke will work closely with the company's franchisees and continue to cultivate growing global markets. "Tom Fricke is a proven leader and an energetic and versatile senior operating executive. We are thrilled that he has taken on this new role to strengthen ... Full Story

There's enough pressure in the world without having to defend the character of your ink cartridges. However, if you plan to have an existing cartridge refilled, you may have to face the fact that the cartridge might not cut it. There are hundreds of companies that refill inkjet and toner cartridges. Refilling, a method of recycling, is a smart thing to do because it saves money and saves the environment from having to choke down one more piece of plastic. With 300 million ink cartridges being thrown out per year in the U.S. alone, it's really a pretty big deal. However, cartridges ... Full Story

Epson Australia has continues its ink recycling programme by introducing a large format scheme for professional printing companies. The programme is designed to reduce the environmental impact from the significant number of ink cartridges used by printers. Previously, large format printers were often unable to recycle old cartridges or to find suitable replacements. Earlier this summer, Epson Australia's parent company, Seiko Epson Corporation, launched a multi-part scheme designed to address many of the most significant environmental concerns across the globe. The scheme has a ten year time frame in which Epson plans to reduce CO2 emissions by 90% across the entire ... Full Story

There is a lot to be said for smart shopping and conservation. Although computer printers are relatively cheap these days, many ink cartridges are not. There are four main ways to combat the high cost of printing, including ink cartridge recycling, using recycled paper, the reduction of waste, and being a smart shopper. Being a smart shopper doesn't mean buying solely on price. In fact, that is a mistake. It's true that price point is important when shopping for new equipment, but it's not the only factor to consider. The things you want to look for are the output and cartridge ... Full Story

Going back to school often means stocking up on all kinds of supplies. While clothing and shoes may be expensive, using recycled materials doesn't have to be. With this in mind, there are several companies that have developed various green products perfect for back to school shopping. First off, it's important to know what the kids need. Take a look at last year's leftovers to see if there are any usable pens, pencils, notebooks, etc. There are several stores that are offering eco-products. For example, Target has greenroom eco-notebooks starting at $2.49. For other paper, such as filler paper or printer ... Full Story

Office Depot, the major office supplies retailer, opened its first "green" store this summer. Located in Austin, Texas, the store was purposefully designed to consumer less water and energy during its daily operations. It also has an increased number of recycling programmes and promises to leave a much smaller footprint than stores of a similar nature. "We took a series of innovative green design elements used in Office Depot store locations across the country and brought them together in our new store prototype," said Ed Costa, Office Depot's construction VP. "Through the construction phase of this prototype design we used a ... Full Story

The University of Texas Dallas Career Center has a lot to be proud of when it comes to its staff. One of the most recent accomplishments is the presentation of the 2007-2008 Staff Council's Sandee Goertzen Award given to administrative assistant Darlene Coppage. The purpose of the award is to recognize outstanding Staff Council leadership and contributions. The award was named a long term UT Dallas employee who directed Staff Council from 1996 to 2000, and once again from 2003 to 2006. Coppage has done a great deal for the Career Center, including chairing the Staff Council Fund Raising Committee. Coppage has ... Full Story

A total of twenty branches of Barclays in Bank Blaenau Gwent and the South Wales Valleys will join together to help raise funds for ChildLine, a not-for-profit programme operated by the NSPCC. Barclays' goal is to raise £10,000 that will be used to support the hotline for children and teens. Children and teens live a difficult existence, especially when there are cases of drug use, physical mental and sexual abuse, peer pressure, bullying and depression. The ChildLine is a confidential hotline that allows kids to talk and get help or advice - or even just an ear to listen. The ... Full Story

Helping Individuals Reach Employment is a Fairbanks, Alaska based programme that has recently been a focus in the news for its dedication to students with developmental disabilities. The programme, known as H.I.R.E., trains students, helps them to find jobs, and teach them to live independent lives. H.I.R.E. has been part of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District for over 20 years and has proven to be a success when it comes to teaching valuable job skills. For some students, H.I.R.E. is a true lifesaver. "This is their last stop; they're applying their academics and learning life skills," said Dolores Pinion, ... Full Story

The person in charge of printing in any organisation has a lot to answer for, whether it's the type of ink cartridges purchased, amount of materials being recycled, or if sent out, what time of environmental policy is being upheld by the vendor. The printing industry itself has come a long way in regards to the environment. Long gone are the days when silver was used for processing and chemicals were poured down the sink. Even inks are friendlier than they used to be, particularly since the introduction of soy-based products. The supply chain can be long and varied depending on the ... Full Story

Despite the advancements in electronic communication, printing is still the top method used by businesses. A new study conducted by the organisation Kall Kwik showed that 93% of businesses continue to favor printed mailings over electronic communication. Additionally, only 14% of those surveyed would consider sending business related text messages. The reluctance to use text messages is somewhat surprising since there are more than 90 million active mobile phones throughout the UK. Part of that reluctance involves the fact that electronic messages are easy to delete, whether or not they are even read. Studies show that consumers are apt to read ... Full Story

By now, you've probably heard about the many schemes out there involving recycled and recycling printer ink and toner cartridges.  But you may still be wondering - What's the big deal? Well, the big deal is mainly that ink and toner cartridges contain toxic materials that are harmful to the environment. On top of that, the plastics contained in the ink cartridge casing is, by and large, not biodegradable. This means that the item will sit in a landfill for about 400 years before it breaks down. With 300 million cartridges being thrown out annually in the U.S. alone, you can ... Full Story