Remanufactured Inkjet Cartridges vs. OEM Cartridges

Our industry’s commitment to quality, value and service means that business users can benefit from reduced costs in printer cartridges without any loss in quality. Home users of computer printers and faxes are also recognizing that remanufactured cartridges are often up to 20%-50% cheaper than the OEM equivalents, which gives them a real, cost-effective and environmentally-friendlier option.

Buying remanufactured inkjet cartridges does not mean they are of poorer quality than branded originals. There have been many independent consumer surveys that can confirm this. Studies by the reputable German test organization, Stiftung Warentest, have confirmed that non-OEM cartridges are not only cheaper but also are equal in terms of quality! In February 2005, the national independent consumer organization called Consumentenbond performed a series of studies into 11 inkjet printer types. They commented, “…contrary to what printer manufacturers say, printers using non-original cartridges do not give perceptibly more complaints than printers using original cartridges.” In a 2005 issue of the German computer magazine C’t (Heise), our fears of using non-OEM cartridges were deemed unnecessary and it was confirmed that remanufactured cartridges are made according to the highest standards (including ISO, DIN) and produced “fit for pruprose”.

Judging by the substantial and rapid growth of our industry in the last decade, customers are increasingly satisfied with the choice and quality remanufacturers provide. With quality levels being the same or higher, the only real difference between an original and remanufactured cartridge is the price!

Buying remanufactured inkjet cartridges helps the environment. Around the world, more than 5 million plastic printer cartridges end up in landfills every year. But empty cartridges can be remanufactured for re-use up to 2-3 times! Our industry substantially reduces the number of cartridges reaching landfills. For every remanufactured cartridge purchased, its one less new cartridge that needs to be produced, saving energy and preventing it from entering the waste stream and draining our natural resources.

Remanufacturing is not only about “Being Green” but it’s a real solution to the growing e-waste problem. It is a manufacturing ethos of re-use, not just recycle. To substantiate our claims to “being green”, the re-use of the plastics and metals used in printer cartridges is the most eco-friendly method of dealing with this type of waste product. Re-using the materials in the remanufacturing process requires less energy than manufacturing a brand new printer cartridge. For example, recycled aluminum, used again in remanufactured products, uses 95% less energy in manufacture than virgin aluminum.

The raw material saved through remanufacturing reduces the energy required to extract and process materials. Significant amounts of waste that would otherwise end up in landfill sites are reused by our industry. Our own research estimates that remanufacturing can make a significant difference to the amount of new raw materials produced and used to supply the growing demand for inkjet and toner cartridges.