HP Makes New Printer Cartridges from Plastic Water Bottles

Jan. 30, 2008 — Hewlett-Packard has engineered a way to produce inkjet printer cartridges from post-consumer recycled plastics. More than 200 million Original HP cartridges have been manufactured using the process so far.

The new recycling process combines multiple sources and grades of recycled plastics, from everyday water bottles to used inkjet cartridges, with a cocktail of chemical additives to achieve the necessary strength and durability of the finished material. The used inkjet cartridges are sourced from HP's Planet Partners (PDF) cartridge-recycling program.

“By developing the technology to use recycled plastics in Original HP inkjet print cartridges, we have the opportunity to reduce the environmental impact HP products have on the planet,” says Michael Hoffmann, senior vice president of HP's Supplies, Imaging and Printing Group. “HP’s considerable investments in building a recycling infrastructure made this achievement possible, and this is just the beginning of what we hope to accomplish.”

HP used more than 5 million pounds of recycled plastic in its inkjet cartridges last year. The company says it is committed to using twice that much in 2008.

Article by: Sustainable Life Media