Re-manufactured or recycled ink and toner cartridges are more affordable and better for the environment, which is something I am always for; however there are some caveats to consider. That being said I thought I would provide some quick tips on buying re-manufactured cartridges.
- The first question you have to ask is “Is my printer under warranty?” If it is then I would recommend sticking with brand name inks and toners because in 95% of the cases using off-brand products voids your warranty.
- Before running to the local cartridge store, double-check their return policy. If a store or reseller doesn’t offer a refund or guarantee then definitely go somewhere else. It is not uncommon to receive a cartridge that doesn’t work.
- The old adage “You get what you pay for…” is true for print cartridges as well. Manufacturers have spent lots of money on research and development of inks and toners, which isn’t often true of off-brand companies. Now if you are printing word documents or spreadsheets it probably isn’t going to matter, but when you print pictures, it may be noticeably different.
- In the end you may need to do some trial and error to see if a particular cartridge will work to your satisfaction. Many printer companies have microchips installed to detect any cartridges other than theirs, and if detected some of the printing functionality may be decreased. Unfortunately you won’t know this until you test out one of the cartridges.
- Last but not least, if you are leery of using an off-brand print cartridge, check with the printer manufacturer and see if they have a recycling program, or go to our blog for a list of recycling links. In some cases they will pay you for your old cartridges, but at a minimum you can keep the cartridges out of the landfills.
Click on the manufacturer of your printer below to find out how to recycle your ink/toner:
