How do we convince Hewlett Packard that recycled ink carts. are good for the environment?

Recycling is great for our environment but it is not good for their bottom line.

They won't make as much money if you were able to recycle the ink cartridges.

Think about it they are trying to protect their income by stopping you from being able to recycle them.

If you could recycle them they would not make as much money because they would not sell as many of them and that's where all their profits come from.

In Australia you can buy printers cheaper than you can buy an ink cartridge for it. That doesn't really make sense until you realise that they give you the printer at a good price but then they hit your pocket hard for the ink cartridges to make their huge profits.

And it really is huge profits. I have bought brand new after market cartridges for my printer for $3 each. The cost of the brand name one is $17. The ink to be able to refill them is probably only worth a few cents because they really don't have that much ink in them anyway.

If the after market costs $3, it is probably made for under $1 because the shop selling it would have at least a 200 to 300 % mark up.

The brand name cartridge costing $17 should also cost under $1 to make as it is basically the same item just made by them. So that mark up is 1700%. Not all that profit goes to the manufacturer because shops mark it up too. but definitely ink cartridges are huge profit spinners for the manufacturers.

Recycling is the best for our environment and you can read why its good here http://www.mini-skip.com.au/article/why-do-we-recy... and i hope one day the large printer manufacturers change their pricing model so that they charge you for the ink to make their profits so you can refill the cartridges instead of having to buy new ones. They need to think of our environment.

Actually, HP was criticised for reusing drums in their laser printers a number of years ago.

If you look in the packing materials of a "new" HP toner cartridge, you will find a prepaid packing slip to ship the used cartridge back to them.

It just goes to prove the old adage- you cannot satisfy everyone.

The ink cartridge "issue" really is not much of an issue. The old cartridges can be recycled for their gold content, and some places buy them to be able to have stock to fill orders for refilled cartridges. They can also be refilled by specific brands of refill kits and systems. However, HP has a reputation for quality, one that extends beyond what people expect, which is beyond jsut the printer itself. HP is particular about the inks that they use, and to be honest- there are inferior inks out there- but who are you going to blame if your printing product looks bad? Not likely the ink itself, you are going to blame HP and their printer if your prints look bad, bleed, fade, or whatever.

What you may be experiencing with your printer may be nothing more than a simple contact pair needing to be bridged to "fool" the printer. Compare the old HP cartridge with the new one and note the differences.

As for the matter of HP- they are getting out of the home computer business entirely. That was anounced last week. This would include printers. They may or may not sell off or spin off their printing supplies division. It is up to them.

While you may be critical of HP, that aftermarket cartridge manufacturer is really the one to blame- they were supposed to know that HP would do that, and figure out a manner to correct such a situation as yours. That is who you should really be critical of.

HP and other printer companies make the majority of profits on cartridge sales...not the actual printer. So they incorporate ways to restrict other means to refill or reuse the cartridges or EEPROM chips which have a set limit to how long they allow the printer to work on a cartridge and ways to identify it. They claim it's to propect proprietary and patented processes /inks but it's a form of planned obsolescence, a means to increase profits and a waste of resources. Call up cartridge refillers and ask which brands can be done...then buy those brands.

Watch this video for an eye opener on PO...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bxzU1HFC7Q

"HP cracks down on cartridge refill industry"

http://news.cnet.com/HP-cracks-down-on-cartridge-r...

Pulling the CMOS battery can cure some ills...

http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/forums/inkjet/556...

I have an HP4500 and Officemax refills my cartridges, that is weird and definitely wrong that they would make the newer printers with a chip that won't allow you to refill your cartridges. They are not thinking green at all. I'd sign a pettition and ban buying any more HP's unless they changed that policy!!

unfortunately many refills leak and they are trying to protect your equipment