Who invented the process for recycling waste toner powder?
This waste has been a
difficult substance to recycle as it is an exceedingly complicated product and
with many versions. To understand the
complexity of this material for recycling you need to understand how it is
collected. The vast majority comes via the refilling process of empty original cartridges
via refilling organisations also known as remanufacturers. The empty cartridges
are never totally empty and before they can be refilled with new toner powder the
cartridges must be thoroughly cleaned and all the residual toner powder
removed. The toner powder is sucked from the components – rollers, cogs and so
on by various types of dust extraction systems. Some of these can be very small
units or substantial industrial plants.
The collection units/vacuum collects the waste toner powder into
industrial drums. These drums contain
dozens of different types of materialr as all manufacturers use different
variations of different toner powder. Each drum will also be different from the
previous one. All this makes recycling
of waste toner powder very difficult.
To make recycling of used toner powder even more complicated
it has a very low melting point due to the wax coating of the powder granules
plus different waxes have different melt points.
If that is not complicated enough the powder can be made of
different materials with numerous additives such as ferrous oxide. Mixing
metals and plastics and waxes as powders makes separation impossible by traditional
methods.
A whole new approach was required but by recycling experts
who understand what could be done and what could not. What also needed to be seriously
considered was the powder is supplied globally so the waste is also global
meaning the recycling solution therefore has to work in every country and in
every weather condition.
Eventually a team of highly recycling experts lead by United
Kingdom recycling expert Angus Carnie
developed a range of recycling solutions dependent on the size of the waste
toner problem. Solutions range from fingerprint powder to parts of the actual
printers.
Whilst
much of Carnies’ work is protected by international intellectual property law and
many non disclosure agreements the many photographs and industry articles on
this innovative recycling process that abound on the internet are a testament
in the many hours that obviously have been spent on this project and to stop land filling and of course the 1,000
years it takes to break down this material if disposed of in this manner. So
stop land filling this material and recycle instead and ask your tonercartridge supplier exactly what happens to your cartridges and if they do not
know change suppliers.
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