The pen is mightier than the printer for ink cartridge recyclers ‘Close the Loop.’
The humble ink cartridge has become a source of real creativity lately. Companies are eager to recycle their cartridges but unwilling to simply hand them over to recycle firms!
Last week, we reported on the Etsy seller turning his empty cartridges into fetching lamps. According to a 19 January post at Kentucky.com by Scott Sloan, a Kentucky firm are now creating pens from their ink cartridges.
‘Close the Loop,’ a seller of Lexmark ink cartridges operating out of North Kentucky, developed the recycled pens with Lexmark’s blessing over eighteen months.
Until now ‘Close the Loop’ has made revenue from sorting out the ink cartridge material of printer companies. Yet they plan to retail their pens from mid-2010 – which make use of the ink retained in the mostly emptied cartridges.
Speaking with Kentucky.com, ‘Close The Loop’ Vice President Josh Tocash said: "We had been storing the ink thinking there had to be ways we could make this ink usable.”
The ink in ink cartridges is a surprisingly complex compound, derived from several colours. Because of this it is normally unable to be recycled, and contributes greatly to CO2 levels when burnt.
Yet ‘Close the Loop’ discovered the ink proved effective in pens; and after months of incorporating the ink cartridge parts into a design, emerged with a pen made from 84% recycled materials.
John Gagel, Lexmark’s Manager of Sustainable Practices, Environmental, Health & Safety, told Kentucky.com: “We’re working toward getting it 100%.”
Lexmark is eager for its ink cartridges to be effectively re-used. The printer brand recently held a forum introducing its partners to product development engineers, aimed at making ink cartridges useful once they’re exhausted.
"It gives us the best opportunity to give them a new life," Gagel said.
In the meantime, ‘Close the Loop’ are searching for a retail partner for their pen. They’re eager to work with printers to revise the pen’s design into something marketable. Tocash said: "You can turn it into any shape you have a mould for.’
Gagel added: "I think we've got a good shot of being widely accepted from those looking for what you can purchase around sustainability."
The humble ink cartridge has become a source of real creativity lately. Companies are eager to recycle their cartridges but unwilling to simply hand them over to recycle firms!
Last week, we reported on the Etsy seller turning his empty cartridges into fetching lamps. According to a 19 January post at Kentucky.com by Scott Sloan, a Kentucky firm are now creating pens from their ink cartridges.
‘Close the Loop,’ a seller of Lexmark ink cartridges operating out of North Kentucky, developed the recycled pens with Lexmark’s blessing over eighteen months.
Until now ‘Close the Loop’ has made revenue from sorting out the ink cartridge material of printer companies. Yet they plan to retail their pens from mid-2010 – which make use of the ink retained in the mostly emptied cartridges.
Speaking with Kentucky.com, ‘Close The Loop’ Vice President Josh Tocash said: "We had been storing the ink thinking there had to be ways we could make this ink usable.”
The ink in ink cartridges is a surprisingly complex compound, derived from several colours. Because of this it is normally unable to be recycled, and contributes greatly to CO2 levels when burnt.
Yet ‘Close the Loop’ discovered the ink proved effective in pens; and after months of incorporating the ink cartridge parts into a design, emerged with a pen made from 84% recycled materials.
John Gagel, Lexmark’s Manager of Sustainable Practices, Environmental, Health & Safety, told Kentucky.com: “We’re working toward getting it 100%.”
Lexmark is eager for its ink cartridges to be effectively re-used. The printer brand recently held a forum introducing its partners to product development engineers, aimed at making ink cartridges useful once they’re exhausted.
"It gives us the best opportunity to give them a new life," Gagel said.
In the meantime, ‘Close the Loop’ are searching for a retail partner for their pen. They’re eager to work with printers to revise the pen’s design into something marketable. Tocash said: "You can turn it into any shape you have a mould for.’
Gagel added: "I think we've got a good shot of being widely accepted from those looking for what you can purchase around sustainability."
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