"The recyclers' dilemma: plastic landfills help the terrorists, but there's cash in empty printer cartridges" Pt. 2

Welcome back. My previous post discussed some of the reasons why recycling used-up print cartridges made good sense. To recapitulate:

1. Fight terrorism. No kidding. Here's my reasoning: because the manufacture of each laser toner cartridge requires about 3 1/2 quarts of oil, buying pristine, unused carts helps support countries like Iran and Nigeria -- and, we wouldn't want to do that now, would we?
2. Save money: Recycled cartridges (sometimes known as compatibles), such as are sold online by the company I work for, SuppliesExperts.com, can cost less than half of the brand-name version.
3. Save New Jersey: Kill a landfill!
4. Make money: Just as some people earn extra money recycling old cans left by the side of the road (Okay, nobody we know!), others boost their budgets by recycling toner cartridges.

I'm going to be discussing this last today, but first ask yourself this: Are you interested in karma, or interested in lucre. One way feeds your soul, the other fertilizes your bank account. Don't get me wrong, I make no judgment: just getting rid of the darned things in a manner that keeps the polar icecaps the size they are right now is fine with me.

So, let's get right to it (Disclaimer: I've not used any of the following sites, nor have I investigated them for credibility. The list is provided only as a starting point for the reader. You don't want to be spoon-fed too much, anyway, do you?) First, there's Recycle4Charity.com, which purports to take your old toner cartridge, recycle it, and donate proceeds to charity. Another is PetSmartCharities.org, which also recycles cellphones.

There. Feel better already, don't you?

On the money-making end, I'd like to offer TonerBuyer.com, which, as the name implies, actually pays you for doing the right thing. In an obvious instance of shameless self-promotion, the following is a representative list of some of the cartridges we sell as well as what TonerBuyer.com offers to pay for similar cartridges. (Note: the site offers some caveats as to what types of cartridges they will and will not buy, so read them carefully).Clicking on the name of the cartridge will take you to our price -- that's the shameless self-promotion

Please note: These prices were accurate as of July 28, 2008 at 12:04 PM (PT).

artridge	TonerBuyer.com
BROTHER
TN-04	$2.00
TN-350	$2.50
CANON
FX-9	$3.00
HP
Q2612A	$1.50
SAMSUNG
CLP-300	$2.00
CLP-510	$1.00
SCX-4521	$1.50

I used Recycle4Charity.com, PetSmartCharities.org, and TonerBuyer.com as convenient examples.Here is what Google returned using the keywords toner+recycling. I'm certain you can find many more on your own, using different keywords.

Until later.

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"The recyclers' dilemma: plastic landfills help the terrorists, but there's cash in empty printer cartridges" Pt. 1

You've known for some time that this day was coming. Three weeks ago, the solid areas in your designs started getting "streaky" and the warning light on your printer began to blink on-and-off at unpredictable intervals.

Then, two weeks ago, every instance of the word "android" in your reports printed out so faintly it could barely be read. You began to suspect that you were running low on toner, but—hoping to stave off the inevitable—you followed the conventional wisdom as pertaining to a low printer cartridge: removing it from the printer and shaking it first up and down, then side to side, forcefully rotating it on its axis, shaking it in front of you like a plastic maraca.

You set your printer's color preferences, first to blue, then when that ran out, to red, because the black was pretty much useless by then, the print so faint as if viewed through layers of wax paper.

Finally, yesterday, the last remaining blot of toner gave up and surrendered to its destiny as the dot on an i in your report on the metaphysical implications of phlogiston, and reluctantly admitted to yourself that the end had finally arrived: Farewell, old friend. You've given me nearly 10,000 pages of scribbles and prose, but its time open the old Brother MFC-9420cn color laser and replace your used-up giblets.

You don't mind removing and replacing the old cartridges with new ones. In fact, it appealed to the left-brain-mechanical-tinkerer side of your personality, and, well, the crispness, the beauty, the rejuvenation of your print-outs would be reward by itself.

Nor was it the cost of the replacements: you'd followed the advice you'd discovered on SuppliesExperts.com's blog, and had stocked up months before. At those prices, who could blame you? And, even if you hadn't stocked up, the cost of gas it would take to drive to the office supplies store wouldn't have been a factor: SuppliesExperts.com has free shipping.

None of these had kept you up at night. Getting new cartridges wasn't the problem—The problem was getting rid of the old ones

***

Here's where I abandon the sui-distant second-person point of view in favor of my normal omniscient one and get down to business. The age-old question of what to do with manufactured non-biodegradable castoffs is one that has been exacerbated since the beginning of the computer age: Computers, CRTs, even printers contain a soup of toxic substances, including dioxin, PCBs, mercury, chromium, radioactive isotopes, and other unhealthy ingredients guaranteed to ruin one's dining. These must all be disposed of carefully and conscientiously.

So, throwing used-up toner cartridges out with Wednesday's leftovers is a pretty poor option. As is allowing them to pile up in your backyard: Nobody wants a toxic dump next door. Traditional landfills lack the technology to deal with such poisonous debris, and, New Jersey is just about full up, anyway.

A far better option is to recycle the things, cycling the being inorganic equivalent of reincarnation in Buddhism. There are several reasons why this is a superior solution, some of which I noted previously here and here. Simply put, they are:

1. Three and a half quarts of oil go into the manufacture of each and every printer cartridge. Why support Iran or Nigeria? Both are members of OPEC and neither is a particular friend of the U.S. Iran has been accused of being part of the Axis of you-know-what, while Nigeria is, of course, home and birthplace of the notorious 419 scams that have bilked American out of several millions of dollars--as well as a good portion of their self-respect. 'Nuff said.
   
   
2. The cartridge shells can be re-used, sometimes several times, thus relieving upward pressure on oil reserves (see above), and reducing the pressure on New Jersey to annex parts of Delaware.
   
   
3. Cartridges that have been recycled save you (Yes, I'm talking to you, Mister!) a considerable amount of money, as the reincarnated cartridges—such as many of those sold by SuppliesExperts.com—are much, much less expensive than brand-new ones.
   
   
4. Finally, you can sometimes even make money for yourself or charity by recycling used toner cartridges.

Thus, in addition to helping fight the War on Terrorism by refusing to support our oil-rich enemies, saving Delaware from having to change its state motto from "Liberty and independence" to "Liberty and prosperity," and saving untold dollars in your budget, you might possibly even turn a profit on the things.

Now, that's what my late mother would call a mitzvah, and what my ex-wife would probably call "good karma."

***

"My, that young man sure can run on, cain't he?"

***

In Part 2 of this blog, I'll discuss some of the ways to properly dispose of used toner cartridges—both for fun (and good karma) and for profit.

As always, if anybody's reading this and cares to comment, please do so.

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Five reasons why compatible laser cartridges are better than the manufacturers' cartridges

First of all, they're cheaper; much cheaper, much, much, much cheaper. In some cases, the difference in price is more than 50%. Check out the handy little Excel chart I've put together showing some of our more popular compatible cartridges for printers such as the Brother MFC 9420CN, Canon MF4150, Dell 5100CN, HP LaserJet Q2612A, Okidata C5800, Konica/Minolta Magicolor 2350 Printer, Samsung CLP-300, and Ink Sticks for the Xerox Phaser 8500.

About the methodology: today (July 21, 2008) I went online and noted our prices, then found the prices for the OEM versions on Amazon.com.

The comparisons should be accurate; however, if anybody doesn't believe I'm being fair, you're more than welcome to comment. In fact, you're encouraged to.

As you can see, the prices are both striking and significant. How can that be, you might ask; which leads to another way compatibles are better than OEMs.

Second: They are recyclable and recycled. Each cartridge shell is reused as long as it maintains its structural integrity. The only parts that are consistently replaced are the OPC drums, wiper blades, and other worn parts. This is good for the earth. And, it's good for you.

Third: As I mentioned in a previous post, it takes 3 1/2 quarts of oil to manufacture a single toner cartridge shell. You want to help lower the price of oil? Stay away from new printer cartridges and opt, instead, for earth-friendly compatibles.

Fourth: How much do you value the privacy of what's on your computer? Most people don't realize that many OEM cartridges contain a microchip that may be in constant communication with the official manufacturer. Companies such as Lexmark (which practically gives away its printers, but charges the proverbial limb for cartridges) is currently in litigation to prevent a compatible manufacturer from offering an equivalent cartridge substitute.

Fifth: Most manufactures are too diffuse and diversified to offer the quality of customer service that most compatible resellers of compatible toner cartridges are able to provide. Who do you think is going to get more attention at a company like HP or Brother: The guy who's having problems with his $500 printer or Fax or Plasma TV or PC . . . or the guy who can't figure out how to install his $40.00 laser cartridge?

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High Cost of Printer Cartridges Impacting Businesses

"Jim"* has a small computer repair business where, during the course of a normal day, he will print out work orders, estimates and receipts for his customers, purchase orders and checks for his suppliers and vendors, statements, flyers and product sheets he gets off the internet, and special offers he mails to both existing and potential customers about upcoming sales and events.

As recently as one year ago, the very idea of not being able to afford to do any of these things would have never have entered Jim's mind; not being able to afford as much printer ink as he needed was simply inconceivable. In addition to the four cartridges in his color laser printer, he'd kept a backup set in his supplies cabinet

That was then, and this is now, the saying goes. In addition to the slowdown in the economy, the cost of a set of cartridges seemed almost insurmountable: the best price Jim was able to find for Dell's 4BC5100 was still a staggering $531.99, a budget-buster if he ever saw one. He tried everything he could to extend the life of his cartridges: he'd shake them up and down and side by side cartridge to try to dislodge every last grain of toner; he'd use the "draft" setting on his printer; he'd only print out 15 color flyers instead of his usual 150, and post them on supermarket bulleting boards instead of mailing them out.

Even using these tactics, though, sometimes the print on his receipts and estimates was so faint his customers were forced to request another copy. It was embarrassing and it was eroding the good will he had built up over years of doing business.

The other day, however, while desperately seeking an answer to his printer woes online, he typed the keyword phrase Dell 5100cn into Google and discovered that a company called SuppliesExperts.com was selling a full set of cartridges that were 100% guaranteed to be compatible with his printer. Not only that, but instead of the $531.99 that Dell wanted, these would only set Jim back $159.00! He couldn't believe it.

But, was it legal? The sales person who had sold Jim the printer originally, told him in no uncertain terms that if he tried to use anything but Dell cartridges in his printer, it would automatically void the 5100CN's warranty.

Jim investigated himself, however,, and discovered -- to his relief-- that the salesperson had been less than honest, and that the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act, passed in 1975, states that a printer's manufacturer cannot refuse to honor its warranty just because the owner preferered to use a different — albeit compatible — product.

So, Jim tried the SuppliesExperts'com toner cartridge -- their 5100cn -- it worked fine, and he kept his business and his old customers never noticed a thing.

The preceding story is apocryphal, but it isn't that far from the truth. The truth is:

1. OEM manufacturer's brand-name cartridges often cost more than twice as much as compatible cartridges from SuppliesExperts.com
2. they carry a 1-year, 100% guarantee
3. free shipping is available
4. the manufacturer cannot stop somebody from using compatible
5. save gas - buy online!

* "Jim" is not his real name. As a matter of fact, he isn't even real; he is a composite.

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Installing cartridges in HP printers (1)

I have an old HP LaserJet 1210, that I like for its speed and for the fact that it doesn't smear when I'm highlighting a paper or a story. And, since I started working here at SuppliesExperts.com, I've discovered that laser carts can be cheaper than those I used to buy for my HP C3280 color inkjet printer. The first time I had to swap out a full toner cartridge for my used/empty one, I had a bit of trouble figuring out which way the thingy went, so I asked Brian, my coworker, to help me make a video showing how to install a compatible cartridge in a printer like mine. Here's the link from YouTube

Besides my HP LaserJet 1012, this cartridge also works these:

LaserJet 1010	LaserJet 3015	LaserJet 1020
LaserJet 1022	LaserJet 1022n	LaserJet 1022nw
LaserJet 3020	LaserJet 3030	LaserJet 3050

That's it for now, folks. I suppose one could argue that this post is a blatant advertisement for our line of compatible printer toner cartridges--but you'd be wrong!

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The Paperless Office? Not just yet, Turbo! Pt. 2

Last week, I began writing a post about how BusinessWeek's 1975 prediction of a "paperless office" by 1990 was a dream denied—but ended up, instead, discoursing briefly on the history of printing. Note: I have a reputation that—when asked what time it is—I will generally tell that person how to build a watch. So be it.

The indisputable fact is, though, that the goal of replacing paper with pixels is most likely unattainable, as is argued by Abigail J. Sellen and Richard H.R. Harper in their study: The Myth of the Paperless Office (The MIT Press, 2001). In that study, the authors assert that e-mail use increases paper consumption by 40%, and that even Web use has increased our printing—especially among so-called "knowledge workers," which I would imagine, includes students, teachers, lawyers, executive secretaries, writers, and on and on. In fact, knowledge workers use as much as three times as much paper as the average worker. That's a 300% increase, folks.

The authors suggest of reasons: first, what Sellen & Harper refer to as "affordances: the activities that an object allows or 'affords'," such as the ability of paper to be grasped, carried, folded, writing, etc. Paper as a medium is also "friendlier" for the purposes of collaboration and marking up by authors and others. Any writer, journalist, or documentarian is familiar with the utility of a yellow highlighter or a blue pencil.

So, what does that have to do with laser toner and compatible cartridges, which is, after all, the overarching subject of this blog? This is the point:

1. Whether or not we're consciously aware of the reason(s), we'll be printing out more and more information and documents as time goes by;
2. because of the "razor and blades" pricing model the printer manufacturers employ, printing costs will continue to rise—due, primarily, to the high cost OEM products;

So, what's the answer?

1. If you are in a writing-intensive area (student, teacher, lawyer, writer, etc.) hie-thee-hence to the local office supply superstore (I happen to prefer Costco, but there's also Sam's Club, or Walmart) and pick up a low-to-medium priced laser printer. If you're wondering why I suggest a laser printer, please refer to the laser vs. inkjet printer comparison in an earlier post; then,
2. go to suppliesexperts.com to stock up on compatible laser toner cartridges for your particular model. Ours can run up to 60% less than the manufacturer's brand-name products.

So, that's about it for today. If anybody out there would like to suggest a topic for a future blog entry, send it along to roger@suppliesexperts.com. I'd love to blog someday about Neil Postman and his ideas on print vs. other media. Or, about Bob Greene's terrific series of columns in the 80s called "Reading is a Vacation."

Before ending this blog, I'd like to leave you all with a . . .

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The "Paperless Office"? . . . Not just yet, Turbo! Pt. 1

This post was originally conceived as being a discussion about the disconnect between the dream of replacing paper with pixels and the resulting eco-savings and the reality of reams of used multipurpose paper products ending up in third-world landfills.

At least, that was my intention; however, as Philp José Farmer famously observed: "A dullard is someone who looks something up in an encyclopedia, reads the entry, then closes the book." So, a what was originally planned as a simple fact-checking saunter through Wiki turned into a Lewis & Clark expedition into the history of printing: from 200 A.D Chinese, woodblock printing (for a few) to Gutenberg's moveable type in 1489 (for the more-than-a-few), to the offset press in the 1800s (for the masses), and on and on.

Along the way, I learned that the typewriter (QWERTY keyboard) was invented in the 1800s and standardized in 1910 and that mimeograph machines came along around the same time. I learned about carbon paper and its use in the proliferation of anti-government samizdat in the former USSR (some think that this helped lead to its breakup), as well as the ubiquity of photocopier humor in the 70s.

To make a long story short, this post now concerns personal printing, and how we got here.

First, a short history of printing (Thanks again, Wiki!)

• 200 A.D.: Woodblock Printing
• 1040: Introduction of Moveable Type
• 1430s: Intaglio (etchings)
• 1439: Introduction of the Printing Press (August Gutenberg)
• 1796: Lithography
• 1800s: Offset Printing Press
• 1843: Rotary Press
• (1910): Typewriting begins. Mark Twain writes Life on the Mississippi using an early model.
• (1950s): Mimeographed newsletters become popular.
• 1960: Photocopying
• 1969: Laser Printing
• 1970: Dot Matrix Printer
• 1976: Inkjet Printing
• (1985): Aldus PageMaker, Apple Computer's Macintosh and LaserWriter printers bring desktop publishing within the reach of the ordinary individual.
• (1988): Consumer inkjet printers arrive on the market.
• (2000): Inkjet manufacturers adopt the "razor and blades" pricing model and printer prices drop
  precipitously, while the price of ink cartridges remains high.
• (2000): Monochrome printer prices drop precipitously; however, as with ink cartridge prices, toner prices remain high.
• (2000s): Invoking the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, companies begin selling printer-compatible printer supplies at a fraction of the price of their OEM equivalents.
• Present: Personal printing is the norm, rather than the exception.

Well, that's about it for today's blog. Come back Monday for Pt. 2, and, hopefully my thoughts on the "Paperless Office" – a phrase reportedly first used in an article in Business Week in 1975! More on that Monday.

Meantime, have a safe and terrific July Fourth!

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