Inside scoop: how HP Printers & ink cartridges are recycled

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Do you know what this is? Look a little closer.

These are old printer ink cartridges. Millions of them.

OC standup
Have you ever stopped to think about what happens to your printers ink cartridges when you’re done with them? If you toss them in the garbage. Oooh. Bad!
If you recycle them, then what? I’m Erin from TGC in Nashville TN and your ink cartridges might just end up here.

VO
‘Here’ is a printer ink cartridge recycling facility just outside Nashville Tennessee where all HP’s old ink cartridges, toner and old printers are sent.

When HP printer owners — who subscribe to HP’s instant Ink program —are done with their ink cartridges, HP includes a little envelop for your to mail then in for recucling… All these envelopes end up in Lavergne Tennesse…. Right here…

But then what?
I came to Nashville to answer the question of what happens to your HP ink cartridges then once you pop them in the recycling bag and drop them in the mail.

First they’re poured into massive machines that sort them into differnt sizes and types. Some need to be hand disassembled, but others are disassembled by a machine. This machine sets batches of the same cartridges up so that another mahine can remove the metals, and seperate the ink sponges and the plastics.

When they’ve been through this process, this is what’s left; batches of differnt materials waiting to be recucled or re-made into new products.

Clip number of cartridges recycled here

VO
That’s an astounding number. But it’s also a lot of waste to keep out of landfills.

Similarly the recycling facilities also handle old printers and copiers. They’re painstakingly dismantled by hand, and broken up into their many parts. What can be reused is reused.

When it comes to the plastics, once it’s separated from all the other materials, it’s crushed up on this giant plastic shredder…

SUP Explanation in control room

All this plastic scrap is eventually turned back into plastics and yes, even back into new HP printers.

OC Standup
Everyehting here is reused.. boxes are old food/grocery boxed, while the machiner has been repurposed too.

Clip why recycling important

HP is doing quite a bit to make its products less impactful on the environment.
And they really want to share the news. That’s why they brought reporters, journalist and bloggers like me to Nashville for their sustainability summit. HP used the meeting to showcase what it’s doing for the environment. HP also announced a new printer that it says is the world’s first carbon neutral printer.

Clip

The printer is called the HP Tango Terra — Terra means earth and HP says this printer is meant to make sure the planet is taken care of. It’s a Tango printer, bundled with eco friendly paper and HP’s Instant INk, which delivers ink to your door, and and makes sure your cartridges are recuycled.

Features of tango printer or clip

What we saw in the recucling facilities are just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a football fie;d’s worth of other recyclables on this day, all waiting for their turn .

So next time you get this little postage paid envelope with your new cartridges don’t ignore it. Pop your printer and cartridges inside and send them off so they too can have a chance at a new life.