A More Responsible, Sustainable Way to Deal with Empty MICR Toner Cartridges

Since 2000, over 218 million pounds of recycled plastic has been used in manufacturing TROY and HP toner cartridges^[1][2]. By keeping recyclable materials out of landfills, this creates a significant impact on the environment. We recognize the need to act and that taking even the smallest of steps are necessary. TROY is proud to offer a simple, convenient, and free way to recycle used MICR toner cartridges.

A History of Being “Green”

TROY partners with HP to participate in a “closed loop” recycling process. This robust program converts returned cartridges into raw material to produce new, original cartridges following certified ISO 14001 processes.

“TROY has been partnering with HP for over 20 years to recycle used toner cartridges at no cost to our customers,” states Mike Riley, Executive Vice President/General Manager at TROY. “We’ve been green before many of our competitors. We think it’s important that our customers are enabled to make conscious choices at work, just like at home.”

Inside every TROY MICR cartridge box is a pre-paid shipping label. Simply place the empty cartridge back in the box and attach the label. Then give it to a local shipping agent or carrier to send back for recycling. It’s a free and convenient process with both the environment and the customer in mind.

Returned TROY/HP toner cartridges never up in landfills or are refilled and resold. They are sorted and disassembled, with any remaining particles of toner disposed of in a sustainable manner. Pieces of plastic and metal become raw material for new toner cartridges. While smaller, unusable bits will go on to create everyday items, like the soles of shoes. This process has produced more than 80% of ink cartridges and 100% of toner cartridges using recycled materials ^[3].

Remanufactured ≠ Sustainable

For some, remanufactured products are a cheap way to go “green.” However, remanufactured doesn’t necessarily mean sustainable. Nearly 90% of remanufactured ink and toner cartridges will end up in landfills since they don’t have a recycling program and typically underperform compared to original cartridges. It takes more than 400 years for these materials to break down^[4][5].

“The recycling process we offer is more than the refilling or reprocessing of old cartridges. We take great pride in knowing that when customers send used toner cartridges back, it is used to produce the same high-quality product and has as little impact on the environment as possible,” Riley added.

Remanufactured cartridges also bring a loss in quality and increased cost to your business. Inferior or incompatible parts often replace crucial components – if they can be replaced at all. This results in poor print quality or total failure of the cartridge, costs time and money. The TROY MICR toner cartridges that come out of the “closed loop” recycling process are the same reliable HP Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) cartridges that businesses rely on. They are manufactured to the highest standards and endure rigorous testing before being released to the market. Additionally, they’re custom made by the manufacturer for your printer, so they work together

Recycling Toner Cartridges Makes A Lasting Impact

As more and more businesses adopt sustainable business practices, TROY has enabled its customers to recycle MICR toner cartridges for over 20 years – and will continue to do so. By recycling TROY MICR toner cartridges, we can have a positive impact on our planet and create a better, more sustainable future together.

[1] https://supplies-recycle.ext.hp.com/index.php?process=program_details&country=us&language=en

[2] https://www8.hp.com/us/en/cartridge/recycle.html

[3] https://store.hp.com/us/en/tech-takes/recycle-toner-cartridges

[4] https://store.hp.com/us/en/tech-takes/recycle-toner-cartridges

[5] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/07/plastic-produced-recycling-waste-ocean-trash-debris-environment/