Disposal of old cartridges. Methods for recycling laser cartridges Recycling cartridges for printers of budgetary organizations

Recycling cartridges used in laser printers is one of the most important steps in preserving and protecting our environment. IN modern period Computerization of printing devices is becoming more and more, respectively, the amount of consumables and their waste is increasing. By not disposing of the cartridges correctly, we cause enormous damage to both nature and ourselves.

Printer cartridges are toner-filled containers that printers need to operate. At the end of the coloring matter, the container is again filled with consumables. However, there always comes a time when cartridges fail, after which they are usually simply thrown into buckets along with other garbage.

Important! Do not throw away waste containers with toner residues in trash cans!

This ban is due to several good reasons:

Cartridges thrown into landfills negatively affect the condition environment(especially when burning garbage). Due to the specific composition of such waste, toner containers from printers are not easily biodegradable. Under natural conditions, such waste will decompose over several hundred years, which, given the annual increase in the number of discarded cartridges, will certainly lead to another environmental problem.
Used toner bottles are harmful to human health: they can cause a number of diseases (respiratory problems, chronic headaches, cancer, etc.). It is dangerous to throw waste ink in the trash, but it is even worse to accumulate and store used cartridges at home or in the office. Toner particles have microscopic diameters - 3-4 microns, they are smaller than dust. In addition, the toner is volatile. This coloring mixture, penetrating into the human body, is not able (unlike dust particles) to be excreted into external environment because of their super small size. The toner settles on the lungs and bronchi, thereby causing problems in the respiratory system.

Thus, the harmfulness of the considered type of waste provides their component composition, therefore, we will further pay attention to this aspect.

Component composition of waste printer cartridges

The body of the toner containers is made of plastic, which includes polystyrene. This polymer causes a danger to living organisms when waste is burned, because very often MSW landfills are set on fire.

Note! To neutralize the chemical compounds released into the atmosphere during the combustion of polystyrene, the combustion process must be carried out at 1000 ° C, but it is impossible to achieve such a temperature in the "field" conditions.

The toner contains:

soot;
oxides of iron, aluminum, titanium;
copolymerization products of ethylene and other monomers;
vinyl acetate.

How to dispose

How to dispose of printer cartridges? A question that is acute for everyone who deals with printing devices. This problem is especially relevant for budgetary organizations and persons engaged in commercial activities.

To safely dispose of HP laser printer cartridges (the widest series of printing devices is HP Laser Jet), as well as other containers with toner, safely for yourself and the environment, you need to find the contacts of recycling companies (the easiest way is to use the Internet). Some recycling companies buy cartridges, others recycle for free or for a fee.

An example of Moscow firms for the disposal of toner containers: Kser, EcoProf, Ecocartridge.rf, First Disposal Company.

Disposal methods, process

Currently, the disposal of this waste is carried out in two ways:

Recycling. Used printer parts are sent to recycling plants, where the cartridges are cleaned, repaired and refilled with a view to their subsequent sale under a new brand.
Mechanical and thermal decomposition. Products are sorted and separated into their constituent components, after which the plastic parts are crushed and remelted at high temperature with the receipt of secondary raw materials. Recycling the toner involves exposing it to a temperature of 1000 ° C, in the process there is no formation of harmful compounds. The method is environmentally friendly.

Cartridge recycling law

The rules for recycling toner containers from printers are determined by . Failed cartridges are MSW belonging to the III or IV hazard class of waste. In order to follow the correct procedure for the disposal of products, it is necessary to make a waste passport, where its specific hazard class should be indicated. Further, for further disposal, you need to contact a specialized company licensed to carry out such activities, pay a fee for the provision of services by this company. The procedure ends with the receipt of a disposal certificate by the customer.

The Department of Rosprirodnadzor monitors compliance with the above disposal rules. Legal entities may be fined for throwing cartridges into landfills in the amount of 20,000 to 250,000 rubles.

The correspondent of the "Leading Recycling Company" tells about the disposal of printers and their parts with toner residues in this video

Plastic cartridges are almost not biodegradable. When it burns, hazardous substances are released. Toner particles have an extremely negative effect on our health. For these reasons, the topic of proper disposal of these printer components should be fixed in the mind of each of us, so that when this problem occurs, we know what to do.

Removal, processing and disposal of waste from 1 to 5 hazard class

We work with all regions of Russia. Valid license. Full set of closing documents. Individual approach to the client and flexible pricing policy.

Using this form, you can leave a request for the provision of services, request a commercial offer or get a free consultation from our specialists.

There are no citizens who have never heard of the environmental threats posed by discarded garbage. In landfills, you can find a wide variety of items, from harmless ceramics to mercury lamps that poison the air and soil. However, there is a group of products that are safe only at first glance. These items include printer cartridges. People have no idea what dangers this consumable is fraught with.

Why can't you throw the cartridge in the trash?

Government agencies, private firms and companies offering services of any kind, as well as ordinary residents, all use printers. In the vast majority of cases, at the end of their useful life, used printer cartridges are thrown away with municipal waste into trash cans. Few people know that this is strictly forbidden to do.

Discarded consumables take centuries to decompose, gradually filling free space in landfills and spoiling the ecological system. In case of fire, harmful components are released into the atmosphere. Considering how often waste in landfills catch fire, this picture poses a real threat.

Modern printers use laser printing technology, which consumes the toner stored in the cartridge. It is he who has a negative effect on the human body. Being volatile, it quickly penetrates into respiratory system causing complications and severe coughing. Proper disposal of printer cartridges is an important task for any office and company. If you disassemble the container at home, the probability of inhaling harmful particles reaches 100%.

Component composition of the waste

The printer cartridge is a container made of polystyrene - a durable plastic that is difficult to fire, but emits a lot of smoke. Given the fact that inkjet printers are hardly used, it is important to familiarize yourself with the composition of the toner stored in containers for laser devices:

vinyl acetate
magnetite
magnetic additives
aluminium oxide
titanium dioxide

Toner particles have a size of 3-5 microns, and easily spread through the air. Considering that up to 3% of this substance is stored in a used consumable container, the disposal of printer cartridges must be carried out by an appropriate method.

Recycling technology

Despite the fact that used cartridges can be refilled with toner and continue to be used (which is much more economical than buying a new product), the product will wear out with each refill.

Sooner or later, the need to get rid of the spent consumable will come. The best choice will hand over the waste for recycling. In Russia, there are organizations involved in the disposal of this type of waste. The cost of processing 1 container is 100 rubles.

Recycling companies dispose of cartridges in one of two ways:

Old containers are sent to recycling facilities. The product is cleaned, repaired, worn parts are replaced with new ones. After that, the updated cartridge is refilled and sold in stores under a different brand.
Cartridges are sorted and disassembled into their component parts. After that, the polymers are crushed and melted at temperatures of 1000 °C. Thermal exposure leads to the decomposition of plastic into non-hazardous substances. The resulting raw materials are quite suitable for creating new containers.

Despite the insufficient development of recycling in Russian Federation, there are many companies in the country offering disposal services for used toner containers (Point, EcoProf, Ecocartridge and others).

Cartridge recycling law

There is a separate law that establishes the rules for the disposal of production and consumption waste. In FKKO, printer cartridges fall into hazard categories 3-4. The regulations state that toner containers must be listed on a waste passport, indicating the amount, hazard class, storage method, and recycling method. For processing, an agreement is concluded with a recycling company that has access to similar species works. At the end, the customer must receive a certificate confirming the disposal of the goods.

Rospotrebnadzor monitors compliance with laws. In case of neglecting the rules and throwing away cartridges, entity is subject to penalties in the amount of 20-250 thousand rubles.

Write-off of cartridges in budgetary institutions

Budgetary institutions using printers and other office equipment must use instruction No. 148. It states that before a consumable item is written off, a commission is created that is responsible for the disposal of assets from operation. It is the commission that determines the suitability of the cartridge for subsequent use, refilling or repair, or the container must be written off and disposed of. If it is not possible to create an inspection commission, its duties are transferred to the employee responsible for technical condition office equipment.

When the used cartridges on the balance sheet are recognized as non-working, they can be handed over for recycling and receive a recycling certificate, or you can conclude an agreement with a company that will take the used products, providing new consumables in return according to the transfer-acceptance certificate. At the same time, the company must also provide papers confirming the disposal of old containers.

Ideally, all commercial and budget institutions should treat the surrounding ecosystem with care, and not throw away hazardous waste to landfills. Then the ecological situation in the state will reach a new level.

Federal Law No. 89-FZ of June 24, 1998 (as amended on December 30, 2008) "On Production and Consumption Waste" (adopted by the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on May 22, 1998) (as amended and supplemented, effective from January 1, 2010) as well as the EU Directive WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), require all companies operating or manufacturing household and electronic appliances, as well as cartridges and other Consumables, V without fail enter into agreements with companies involved in their disposal.

Recycling and removal of cartridges from the company "Crystal of Purity": fast, simple, convenient

In large offices, and just private individuals often accumulate a large number of cartridges from printers, one way or another unusable. However, their storage in rooms with people can have a lot of negative consequences. The fact is that cartridges for laser printers somehow retain toner residues. The latter is released into the atmosphere and can cause headaches and dizziness in nearby people. More severe poisoning may lead to the accumulation of toner constituents in the body, resulting in serious illness. In ink for inkjet printers contain lead and other heavy metals, poisoning with which can even lead to lethal outcome. Therefore, it is extremely important to dispose of cartridges properly.

The company "Crystal of Purity" will help you with this. We have everything necessary equipment and permits for the disposal of office equipment in accordance with all norms and standards.

Who benefits from this service?

firms that are engaged in typing and printing information;

companies that are engaged in the repair and sale of components for office equipment;

large companies that accumulate a lot of cartridges from printers.

Technology Description

The entire process of disposal and recycling of cartridges begins with their collection and transportation in special sealed containers that do not allow the remnants of ink, toner and other components to enter the atmosphere. It should be noted that many of the cartridges can be restored and used in further work, which undoubtedly means a huge saving of the planet's resources. Usually, the recycling process takes place in several stages:

analysis of cartridges into components, separation of plastic parts;
collection of toner and ink residues for burning in special ovens at ultra-high temperatures. Due to this, consumables decompose into harmless components;
melting down plastic for recycling;
extraction of precious metals and parts suitable for further use from microcircuits;
burning unusable scrap.

The cost of recycling cartridges

Name of equipment	price per one.
Cartridges	from 30-50 rubles 1 pc.

Good for the environment. Good for company.

With copiers and printers needed in almost every office, you will certainly have to replace cartridges. Over a long period of time, as a rule, a large number of used cartridges accumulate, requiring proper disposal. Often they either simply throw out, or lie in the office and wait in the wings. However, simply sending them to trash can causes significant harm to the environment. Keeping empty cartridges in the office is generally dangerous to health. The toner particles are airborne and subsequently inhaled by people, quietly causing headache or cough attributed to other factors. For you, the timely disposal of used cartridges is an urgent need to maintain your own health.

The growing threat of ecological imbalance obliges people to look for ways to conserve and make good use of waste resources. Some countries of the European Union have already adopted a law prohibiting the disposal of used cartridges. If you want to make a small contribution to improving the environmental situation on the planet, then our company offers you to recycle cartridges for free.

How to recycle cartridges in an environmentally friendly way for free?

In addition to recovery, the most common way to recycle used cartridges, not harmful to the environment and used in Europe - mechanical and thermal decomposition. At a temperature of about a thousand degrees, the polymer bonds of the toner are broken, and it decomposes into non-toxic components. This method completely eliminates the release of harmful toner substances into the atmosphere.

The process takes place in several stages: cartridges are sorted, after which specialists separate materials, granulation and melting are carried out constituent parts, after which new cartridges are made from the raw materials obtained. All stages of processing are carried out using modern technologies meeting all safety and health standards.

Properly disposing of a used cartridge is not only taking care of your health, but also contributing your particle of help in support of protecting the environment of our planet!

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