The Advantages of Buying Remanufactured Inkjet Cartridges

Remanufactured inkjet cartridges are an alternative to buying a new one every time you get the "out of ink" message. Companies that provide them take an empty cartridge manufactured by the printer companies.

The cartridge is cleaned and refilled with new, high quality ink. If the company includes a computer chip in the cartridge, the re-manufacturer resets it. If that step is not done, you will still get an "out of ink" message, which is why the refill kits available do not always work.

Once the cartridge is cleaned and refilled, it is tested. Then, it is wrapped and packaged. Usually they are sold over the internet, rather than in retail stores. Shipping costs are very inexpensive, if not free.

Where does the re-manufacturer get the cartridge? They are sometimes mailed to the company by individuals that want to recycle. Printer manufacturers also make an effort to collect them and then send them to the re-manufacturers.

Is the quality as good? Most people feel that the quality is just as good as an original equipment cartridge. The lifespan is about the same. The quality of the print is equivalent. The inks used are basically the same.

What are the benefits to the environment? Buying re-manufactured inkjet cartridges are beneficial to the environment in a couple of different ways. First, the cartridge does not end up in a landfill. Plastics are among the least biodegradable compounds that man has every created. Scientists are unsure if they will even degrade.

Second, it takes petrochemicals, derived from crude oil, to make the plastic cartridge. So, reusing them saves some of our natural resources.

What is the cost comparison? The cost varies slightly from one re-manufacturer to the next. But, generally speaking, remanufactured inkjet cartridges cost about 70% less than the ones that come from the printer company.

Is there any disadvantage? There is no real disadvantage. You might find that the brand you need is sometimes out of stock, but if you have an older printer, you may find that retail stores no longer carry an original equipment cartridge to fit it.

There are a number of re-manufacturers in business today. So, if one company does not have what you need in stock, another one almost certainly will.

If your printer happens to be very new, it may be a few months before remanufactured inkjet cartridges are available to fit it. But, by the time you run through a couple of new ones, the remanufactured versions should be available.