Hewlett Packard Starts Manufacturing Cartridges From Recycled Plastics

Hewlet Packard, the printer company, has started to manufacture its cartridges from fully recycled old cartridges and water bottles. The technology enabling it is called the ‘closed loops plastic recycling system’ and the eco-friendly cartridges are not any pricier.

A spokesman for HP is quoted in PC magazine as saying that "By developing the technology to use recycled plastics in Original HP inkjet print cartridges, [HP has] the opportunity to reduce the environmental impact HP products have on the planet."

Recycled plastics mainly consist of printer cartridges made of PET polyethylene terephthalate). During the recycling process, additives including fibers and resins are mixed with the old cartridges to strengthen and regenerate the material. Around 70 to 100 percent recycled materials are incorporated in HP's products from now on. HP embarked on its recycling project in 2005 in a project called Planet Partners Return And Recycling Program. It runs in over 45 countries.

During the recent announcement, the company took the opportunity to notify the world of its policy to never melt, refill, re-sell its recycled cartridges. Neither are they sent to a landfill. Since 2005, printer users have handed in over 200 tractor trailer loads of ink cartridges. Enough tho create more than 200 million HP inkjet cartridges.