Placing old printer cartridges into landfill can cause problems for the environment.

Planet Ark is working with Close the Loop® an Australian hi-tech resource recovery company, to prevent these problems. The recycling technology is so advanced that nothing goes to waste.

When you participate in this program, you are helping to:

• Recover Resources
• Prevent Pollution
• Keep cartridge waste out of landfill

Every product that you see in a store represents an investment of resources. Material resources, water and energy are used in the manufacture of most products, including printer cartridges.

The metals used in cartridges are mined from the earth's crust and the plastics are derived from petroleum. These resources are finite - there are limited amounts of them that can be extracted.

These materials can be recycled into new products. Metals, such as aluminium can be recycled again and again. Recycling these materials to make new products often uses less energy and makes better use of our material resources. It also leaves more virgin materials in the ground for future generations.

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Some kinds of toner dust contain hazardous materials. Inkjet inks can also contain a range of chemicals that are harmful to the environment. These materials pose no threat while they are contained within the cartridge.

However, these pollutants can escape when cartridges are pulled apart in poorly managed refilling or recycling operations or when dumped cartridges start to deteriorate in landfill. Toner dust is also extremely fine (5 – 15 microns), so it can easily leach from landfill into nearby waterways, ground water and ultimately the oceans.

‘Cartridges 4 Planet Ark’ prevents pollution by ensuring that none of the cartridges collected are dumped in landfill and that the processing of cartridges at Close The Loop® facility operates within strict environmental management systems.

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Landfill is not a long term solution - it just leaves the problem for future generations to deal with. Some cartridges can leak toner dust and residue ink in landfill, contributing to pollution.

The plastics and metals are not readily biodegradable. They will lie around for years in landfill. When cartridges are recycled these inherently valuable metals and plastics, that would other wise end up in landfill, are recovered and made useful again.

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