There seem to be more inkjet printing devices on the market today. Just how big is the inkjet market?

Inkjet printing is the fastest growing technology in the printing market today. Hewlett-Packard and Canon, the top two ink jet printer manufacturers each sell between  20 and 25 Million units annually. That doesn’t include the many other manufacturers of inkjet printers. Sales of inkjet printer units passed laser as the leading technology in printing in 1993. Comparing the most recent quarter’s sales, inkjet printer sales are up 167% while laser printer sales grew 22%. 

What are the advantages of using recycled inkjet cartridges?

The first obvious answer is cost. A customer using recycled inkjet cartridges can save from 30 to 50% on supplies costs by using recycled cartridges. The second reason to use recycled cartridges -- it’s good for the environment. The commercially offered “do-it-yourself” refill kits actually create more waste than if you threw the cartridge away. Recycling with Inkjet Renew involves no syringes, extra packaging or additional environmental waste. Recycling with Inkjet Renew is “true recycling.” 

There are dozens of different cartridge styles. Which ones can we recycle with Inkjet Renew?

There are over 400 printing devices which use inkjet cartridges, including printers, plotters, fax machines, multi-function machines and other special purpose equipment. However, there are far fewer cartridge styles since many printer models use the same cartridge styles. We recycle more cartridge styles than any other ink jet remanufacturer. We offer recycling for all popular cartridges and many older styles which are still in use.

How long does it take when a new cartridges hits the market before it can be recycled?

There are dozens of new ink jet printing devices being manufactured and sold today. And many of these new models have cartridge styles which are also new to the market.  New cartridge styles usually mean the development of new inks.  It takes us from 3-6 months after a new cartridge hits the market to develop and test inks for new styles.  When many new cartridges are introduced, we prioritize our research and development and concentrate on the most popular new cartridge styles -- usually from the largest printer manufacturers -- first. 

When we send cartridges to you, how many working cartridges can we expect to have returned?

In our experience, from 90 to 95% of the black cartridges we receive can be recycled. However, this depends to a great extent on how cartridges are handled. When cartridges are placed in plastic bags and/or sealed when removed from the printer, they are more likely to be successfully recycled. We have many cartridges which have been successfully recycled 4 to 5 times or more. This varies from customer to customer and cartridge to cartridge. And there are some styles, such as most tri-chamber color styles which will tend to have much higher failure rates upon receipt due to their design.

Does the use of recycled inkjet cartridges void the warranty on my printing device?

In a Warranty Statement dated December 1993, Hewlett-Packard clarified its position on warranties. “For HP products, the use of a non-HP cartridge or a refilled print cartridge does not affect either the warranty to the customer or any HP support contract with the customer.” 

How long will it take to recycle an inkjet cartridge?

Our target for turnaround time in our manufacturing facility is 24-48 hours upon receipt for your Jetpak Mailers.  Added to that would be the time it takes to get the cartridge to Inkjet Renew either by mail or freight (UPS, FED-X etc) and back again. We normally use UPS ground for shipments other than our mailers unless otherwise requested.

 How many pages will my recycled cartridge print?

The amount of ink in a cartridge along with other printing factors determines how many pages a cartridge will print. Each OEM cartridge comes with a specific amount of ink when new -- that’s the same amount of ink we use when we recycle. Our cartridges are carefully weighed to be sure they meet the OEM weight specifications.

 Do cartridges “leak” when recycled?

Many cartridges are carefully pressurized and must be handled properly to avoid leaking. Inkjet Renew recycled cartridges are all carefully sealed in a vapor barrier bag and checked for leaks before shipping to avoid leaks during shipping or prior to use.

What happens if we send in a cartridge which can’t be recycled or is not “serviceable?

We have extensive testing procedures to assure our recycled cartridges perform when used. Every recycled cartridge is print tested in a printer, plotter or FAX depending on the type of machine being used. A solid black print test pattern shows that every jet on the cartridge is working before we seal the cartridge.If a customer has paid for a JETPACK mailer and sends a cartridge which can’t be recycled, Inkjet Renew your customer will be advised to contact their supplier. Additionally Inkjet Renew sends them a certificate which allows them to recycle another cartridge at no charge.

Are JETPACK recycled cartridges covered by a warranty?

In addition to the fact that every cartridge is post tested before it is returned to a customer, each cartridge has a 180-Day Warranty from the date of receipt. That means if a recycled cartridge develops a problem during the 180-Day Warranty period, before it is more than 50% empty it may be return to IJR. Upon receipt, the cartridge will be weighed, inspected and print tested. If it proves to be defective, the Jetpak customer may recycle another cartridge at no charge.  Please note that neither Allied Paper Company or IJR  replaces defective "recycled/recharged" cartridges, since all ink jet cartridges will fail eventually.

* The Allied Paper Company and IJR, Inc. (Inkjet Renew, Incorporated)  Warranty is limited to Inkjet Renew Products Only and Does Not Cover Printer Repairs,  etc.

Why aren’t more inkjet cartridges recycled?

Business customers and end users of all types are not always aware they can have cartridges recycled by someone else without using refill kits. 

Perhaps the biggest reason more cartridges aren’t recycled is that they are very easy to throw away. Recycling inkjet cartridges is a fairly new service, so customers need to be reminded just how valuable their empty inkjet cartridges can be.

Why is recycling with Inkjet Renew better than a “Do-It-Yourself” Refill Kit?

Some customers who have used refill kits report mixed success with these kits. And many complain that they just don’t want to take the time to recycle using a refill kit. Commercial customers are least likely to see refill kits as an alternative to OEM cartridges. With Inkjet Renew, Inc. and Allied Paper Company the customer has the advantage of the significant savings on supplies offered by inkjet recycling without the work, mess or experiencing inconsistent results (poor print quality, damaging clog's etc).  In addition, the refill kits are not “true recycling” since the kits themselves create more waste than the cartridges. 

There are some other differences in the procedures used by Inkjet Renew which would not be available to the average “refill kit” user. Inkjet Renew purges any remaining ink from cartridges and cleans the cartridges thoroughly -- inside and out -- before they are refilled with the finest inks. So, we are never mixing inks. 

When refill kits are used, the cartridges aren’t cleaned and old ink remains inside the cartridges to mix with new ink. This will lead to clogging  and can drastically limit the number of times a cartridge can be recycled. Our thorough cleaning and testing procedures are what allow Inkjet Renew to have such a high success rate in recycling cartridges. These procedures also mean our cartridges can usually be recycled several times.

I understand there are other manufacturers offering inkjet recycling services. Why Allied Paper Company chose Inkjet Renew?

Inkjet Renew is the only inkjet cartridge remanufacturer committed exclusively to the inkjet market.  This is not a sidelight or just another product line for us -- it is our specialty. Since we specialize only in inkjets, we are able to recycle more cartridge styles than any other remanufacturer. 

Consider the following:

	We have more extensive cleaning and testing procedures than any other remanufacturer. This results in the highest possible rate of success in recycling inkjet cartridges.
	The quality of IJR ink formulation's is superior. We are continuously testing new inks to be sure we offer inks which accurately match the inks in the OEM cartridges.
	We have very fast turnaround times.