Printers
and Profits Proliferating
According to Lyra Research, in 2002 almost one billion
toner and inkjet cartridges were shipped worldwide which
resulted in total cartridge sales worth almost $20 billion.
Since 1997, the number of monochrome printers models
in the top 75 percent of the U.S. installed printer
base has grown
114 percent, from 35 in 1997 to 75 in 2003. These figures
parallel both the growth of the remanufactured ink and
toner cartridge industry and the expansion of diverse
production required to meet cartridge replacement needs.
UKCRA Discusses WEEE Implementation
with UK Agencies
Members of the United Kingdom Cartridge Remanufacturers
Association (UKCRA) recently met with representatives
from two government agencies to discuss why consumables
should be included when the Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE) Directive is implemented in the United
Kingdom.
UKCRA members were joined by European Toner and Inkjet
Remanufacturing Association (ETIRA) representatives
when they met with the Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI) and the Department of the Environment (DEFRA)
as part of the discussion period leading up to the August
2004 implementation deadline. For further information
go to http://www.ukcra.com.
Washington State Introduces
Electronic Waste Bill
A bill recently introduced in Washington state could
lead to a key piece of legislation to address the growing
problem of electronic waste. Washington state's House
Bill 1942, titled "Regulating Electronic Waste,"
includes many features similar to early versions of
the European Union's recently passed Waste Electronic
and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive.
The current version of the bill provides for producers
of electronic waste to plan and be responsible for the
waste's end-of-life disposal. The bill encourages "environmentally
friendly" products, including those "that
contain recycled or remanufactured parts, that are designed
for easy disassembly and recycling, that are easy to
upgrade or reuse, and that are designed for a longer
life."
For more information on the bill, visit the Washington
Citizens for Resource Conservation or the Washington
State Legislature site.
Cartridge Chicanery in the UK
A recent string of break-ins has left British cartridge
brokers, dealers and remanufacturers short of stock,
as tens of thousands of empty cartridges haven been
stolen in recent months. Remanufacturers around the
world need to be on alert to protect their stocks and
know their sources of empty cartridges.
"There seems to be a number of related burglaries,"
said Police Constable Neil Crux.
"They have been breaking into warehouses, and are
stealing a few thousand empty cartridges at a time."
"(The thieves) know exactly what they're doing,"
David Connett, publisher of The Recycler, said. They
know which cartridges are the most valuable, and in
one large remanufacturer's building, "They knew
exactly where to go, which windows to break and which
doors to force."
There's been no report of any ink or toner theft. Stand
by.
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