Lexington, KY -- According to a press release dated 22 April, Lexmark Inc., sought out and hired an independent firm to conduct a survey to figure out the environmental impact caused by recycling their ink and toner cartridges.
Lexmark VP Marty Canning believes that “ ‘Printer users need to first understand the impact of their current practices on the environment before they can assess what behaviors need to be changed,’” The survey showed that for the ink alone (not the paper), recycling it through Lexmark can reduce their (the cartridge
s) carbon footprint by as much as 60 percent.
Lexmark suggests the following to achieve the maximum benefits:
Recycle every Lexmark cartridge used through their program rather than sending it to a landfill.
Print double-sided pages whenever appropriate and/or possible
Consider using the N-up feature of your printer to print multiple pages on a single sheet
Instead of printing documents to share them, scan them to e-mail to save toner and paper.
If feasible, switch from standard cartridges to high-capacity cartridges which allow you to print more pages and thus reduce the number of cartridges needed for your home or office.
To these ends, Lexmark suggests a few steps. First, take advantage of the cartridge recycling program which is free to consumers and is currently available in 50 countries worldwide. Lexmark assures their customers that they have a zero landfill policy so if the cartridge is returned, it will definitely be recycled, or reused. In some locations, Lexmark will even recycle the actual equipment you use to print your documents, also at no cost to the business or consumer.
