Stop the unnecessary plastic waste generated by non-recyclable printer cartridges imported from overseas and help bring back, what once was a thriving U.S. Recycling and Re-manufacturing industry for used printer cartridges.

Over 375,000,000 used printer cartridges contaminated with ink and toner residue are thrown in the trash each year, which contributes to over 150 million pounds of plastic waste in our landfills. 

It can take 1,000 years for a printer cartridge to decompose as it can leak toxic chemicals into our waste stream.

Just about every household, business, school, and government agency have printers that uses cartridges for their daily printing. It’s estimated the annual sales for printer cartridges will reach $38.4 billion by 2026, so printing isn’t going away. Unfortunately, the success of the global printer cartridge market has had a negative impact on the environment. In the 1980s, the U.S Re-manufacturing industry for used ink and toner cartridges was established. The industry evolved as a solution to the mass amount of waste used plastic cartridges generated by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of printers such as HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Xerox, and other name brands.

Consumer demand for a lower cost alternative ink and toner cartridge became so high that within a few short years the Re-manufacturing industry of printer cartridges grew into a global industry, generating billions in revenue. This circular economy provided a cost-effective, Eco-Friendly product for consumers while diverting millions of used printer cartridges from ending up in landfills.

At one point, demand for used printer cartridges was so competitive it created a monetary incentive to recycle them. Collecting and selling used printer cartridges became a big revenue stream for the Electronic Waste Recycling Industry.

The Electronic Waste Recycling industry and the Cartridge Remanufacturing industry relied on each other to manage used printer cartridges waste.  

In early 2000, overseas manufacturers seized the opportunity to enter the U.S market and began to import millions of Generic Non-Recyclable and Counterfeit printer cartridges as an alternative to Recycled printer cartridges with no regard for the Environment.

While the OEM for printers provide a free recycling mail-in service for their used cartridges, NO recycling service is provided by overseas manufacturers importing their printer cartridges.

More importantly, a used OEM ink or toner cartridge CAN be re-manufactured several times for reuse which is good for the environment. Whereas generic ink and toner cartridges imported from overseas CAN’T be re-manufactured which results in adding more plastic waste to our landfills.

In 2005, Amazon opened its door to overseas manufacturers selling direct-to-consumers with no regard to fair trade or the environment.

With very little oversight, exploitation of trade laws, and anti-competitive tactics, millions of generic non-recyclable and counterfeit cartridges flooded the market from overseas, undercutting the U.S Printer Cartridge Re-manufactures.

Thousands of U.S businesses that were created to divert used printer cartridges from our waste stream went out of business. What once was a thriving circular economy for recycling and re-manufacturing used printer cartridges is now on the verge of extinction.

Due to the importation of non-recyclable printer cartridges, most used printer cartridges have no value and are considered trash! Handling and warehousing the volume of plastic waste has created a major economic challenge for Electronic Waste Recyclers. Most recycling facilities will no longer accept printer cartridges which have created a major environmental issue. 

In 2017, under Operation National Sword the Chinese government banned the import of used plastic printer cartridges headed for that nation's recycling processors. The ban is part of China's efforts to clean its environment and improve its quality of life.

The question is why our government has allowed overseas manufacturers to use our nation as a landfill for their non-recyclable printer cartridges while at the same time permitting them to destroy the U.S. cartridge re-manufacturing industry?

As one of the last printer cartridge remanufacturers in the U.S., we have experienced the challenges that many U.S. companies are facing with competing products from overseas. Within the last 22 years, we have sadly witnessed countless U.S companies in the printer cartridges recycling and re-manufacturing industry go out of business because of unfair trade practices.

Lawmakers need to hear from all of us that their inaction is hurting the environment and destroying American Jobs!

Please sign this petition to stop the import of non-recyclable printer cartridges ending up in our landfills and Support the U.S. Cartridge Recycling and Remanufacturing Industry! This is the solution to used cartridge waste.

Sign Our Petition on Change.org