Tip of the Week

Re-think Ink

Whether it's the price of a new ink cartridge, or the problem recycling an old one, something had to give, and fortunately it appears that with the changes afoot, the consumer and the environment may benefit. Several major retailers are starting to offer speedy refill services that replace the ink rather than the entire cartridge, a move that could save consumers hundreds of dollars in replacement costs, and remove problem electronic waste form landfills.

Starting in mid-March, the drugstore chain Walgreen Co. will be offering an ink-refill service -- at less than half the cost of buying new cartridges -- in 1,500 of its stores. At the same time, the office-supply chain, OfficeMax, Inc is pilot-testing an ink-refill service in 40 stores in the Chicago area with an eye toward launching a national service. And Office Depot Inc. is testing an ink-refill service in 15 stores in Minnesota and North Carolina while smaller ink-refill services are planning to open storefronts in malls and hotels.

The new services allow consumers to get their cartridges refilled quickly while they shop. And unlike the do-it-yourself kits on the market, there's no mess for the consumer with these services, although manufacturers argue that the refill cartridges are not as reliable and can cause streaking on printouts. Their expressions of concern may have more to do with their own questions as to the impact refill services will have on the sale of new ink cartridges (a profit center for a number of them). The Green Guide suggests trying the service out for yourself to see how well the refill cartridges work. No harm in trying, as our mothers used to say.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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