Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 01:15 am
British Businesses could rake in up to £30 million* from recycling ink cartridges and toner each year, according to research released today.
The data found that just 11% of UK businesses currently recycle ink cartridges by sending them to a recycling centre or refilling with ink to reuse in the business. This figure has risen from 5% in 2014**.
More than 40 million ink cartridges are dumped each year in the UK, instead of being reused or recycled, according to research by CartridgePeople.com, who surveyed 1,000 UK workers on their recycling policies and processes in work.
If disposed of in general waste, ink cartridges can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
The research has revealed that businesses in the UK are failing to reduce their carbon footprint in the office, despite the increase in household waste being recycled in the UK.
When questioned on the reasons for not recycling ink cartridges, 38% of respondents confessed that there are currently no processes in place to encourage recycling in work.
The survey also revealed that 1 in 20 employees in the UK choose to ignore the recycling policies that do exist in workplaces and put everything in general waste.
CartridgePeople.com spokesperson, Andrew Davies, said: “Many businesses and workers are unaware of the savings and extra revenue that can potentially be made from recycling ink cartridges. Ink cartridge recycling firms can pay up to 75p for original branded or even remanufactured ink cartridges.
“An individual ink cartridge can be reused or remanufactured by an ink cartridge recycling centre up to seven times, which reduces the amount going straight into landfill. We work with many companies in the UK to help reduce their carbon footprint and wastage, by supplying ink cartridge refill kits and tanks amongst other recyclable office supplies including LED bulbs and stationery.”
The UK industries with the most green office policies are design, media and marketing and education. The financial and legal sectors currently have the fewest green policies.
