subject: Toner Waste Polluting Third-world Countries [print this page] Many of us don"t equate buying a new laser toner cartridge with contributing to world pollution but unfortunately this may very well be the case. Rather than the recycling and remanufacturing industry which reuses materials, OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cartridges are discarded once they have run out of toner. While many empty cartridges end up in overflowing landfills, 80 percent of electronic waste gets exported to third world countries where it is dumped in fields and along rivers.
Tricia Judge, a journalist in Guiyu China, reported piles of toner cartridges as tall as she was, with smoke from a nearby melting operation burning her eyes and making it difficult to breathe. "Heaps of empty cartridges line the streets and riversides after being scavenged only for their toner. This type of dumping practice has rendered local drinking water not potable." The Lianjiang River has 200 times the acceptable levels of acid and 2,400 times the acceptable levels of lead "" leaving the residents with polluted drinking water that causes serious respiratory problems. A survey showed one out of ten students has severe respiratory problems.
Why have these countries become overrun with toner cartridge waste? The answer is simple: exporting laser toner cartridge waste is cheap. Although certain countries have banned electronic waste, not all bans are actually enforced.
Environmental groups agree that toner cartridge waste exposes workers and residents - including children- to innumerable toxic hazards. Investigators who visited the laser toner cartridge waste site in Guiyu, China, witnessed men, women and children pulling wires from computers and burning them at night, filling the air with carcinogenic smoke. Other laborers, making $1.50 a day, burned plastics and circuit boards or poured acid on electronic parts to extract silver or gold. Many pried open printer cartridges "" whose hazards are uncertain "" to scavenge for anything of value.
"I've seen a lot of dirty operations in Third World countries, but what was shocking was seeing all this post-consumer waste," said reporter Jim Puckett of the Seattle-based Basel Action Network. He added, "This is all stuff from you and me."
Computer and toner cartridge waste is becoming an increasing problem, with millions of devices becoming obsolete each year thanks to advancing technology. Fortunately there are remanufacturing companies that realize the importance of reusing and recycling. A remanufactured laser toner cartridge keeps the empty shell out of landfills and third-world countries. Ink toner UK companies are providing better quality cartridges and affordable ink prices.
If more ink toner UK businesses would offer lower ink prices, the amount of toner waste pollution would decrease. Do your part to keep third-world countries healthier by buying remanufactured ink and toner.
