Even basic cartridge refilling helps preserve the environment
According to Section 12156 of the California Public Contract Code, no government agency within the state may purchase for official use printers, copiers, or multifunction devices that are not equipped with a replaceable refillable cartridge. In addition, when organizing a tender for the supply of such equipment, agencies must print on document envelopes warnings that participation in the tender by manufacturers and suppliers that do not provide the ability to restore and refill the cartridge is not allowed.
The reasons behind this decision by California authorities are quite obvious. Using printers, copiers, and MFPs with disposable cartridges is economically disadvantageous: restoring and refilling cartridges costs several times less than buying new ones. In the context of the budget deficit faced by California, this decision is doubly justified.
There is another reason that may have prompted the California administration to ban disposable cartridges. The plastic from which this printer part is usually made does not decompose even after hundreds of years and is difficult to recycle. Furthermore, producing new cartridges consumes energy and fuel, which also negatively affects the environment. In this regard, a ban on the self-disposal of used cartridges—that is, throwing them in the trash—likely appeared. Cartridges must be disposed of in accordance with the regulations in force in the United States.
In our country, measures that would oblige government agencies to use more economical and environmentally friendly equipment have not yet been adopted. However, both government agencies and commercial enterprises are mostly switching to devices with reusable cartridges. Cartridge refilling is a frequently provided service, indicating its incredible demand. Probably, in the future, printing devices with disposable cartridges will finally become a thing of the past. Only designs with reusable cartridges will remain, which, at the end of their service life, will be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.
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