Toner refill
Encyclopedia
Toner refilling is the practice of refilling empty laser printer
toner
cartridges with new toner powder. This enables the cartridge to be reused, saving the cost of a complete new cartridge and the impact of the waste and disposal of the old one.
Toner cartridges cannot be refilled indefinitely, because their mechanical parts (such as drums and rollers) eventually wear out and an electro-optical device (the drum) become depleted or scratched. Organizations refilling cartridges for resale usually clean and test each cartridge to ensure that it is fit for reuse and resale. While several sources offer empty inkjet cartridges to be filled with your choice of ink it is difficult to find brand new empty OEM laser cartridges. A further complication is that some models of laser print engines, like most inkjet printers, communicate with "chips" or fuses inside the toner cartridge which indicate that the cartridge is exhausted, whether or not it actually is. Some research is usually required to determine the feasibility of refilling a particular cartridge.
In general, DIY refilling requires opening the cartridge (which was designed to prevent such activity), refilling the toner and capping the opening that was made to gain access. Some cartridges can be disassembled (carefully, lest you dump the toner contents all over yourself). Others require a hole to be drilled; vendors sell a soldering-iron-based device that melts a ~15 mm hole in the plastic housing which is later closed with a plastic cap, or tape.
There are only a couple of critical things to be aware of: all toner is not the same formula (it's not just a matter of quality), and in some cases there may be separate additions of toner and "developer". Most kits sold by refill outfits include instructions for the particular type of printer or copier.
The following basic types of refill toner (differing mainly in particle size and fusing temperature) have been identified by one vendor while other refill vendors insist that each printer or copier model requires a unique type.
Kits are available to refill the 4 toner cartridges used by colour printers (cyan
, magenta
, yellow and black), or to fill a single cartridge. Kits include a reset chip where necessary.
Toner types should not be mixed as the cartridge and the printer may be damaged.
According to the most experienced chains in the industry, refilled cartridges are more likely to exhibit poor performance when compared directly against remanufactured toner cartridges
or OEM toner cartridge counterparts. This is sometimes seen when a newly refilled cartridge is first inserted into a printer but is more commonly found later on as refilled toner cartridges are more prone to mid-cycle failure even though adequate toner may still remain within the cartridge.
Companies and individuals that refill toner, however, indicate that in most cases that cost benefits of refilling can sometimes outrun the costs of buying new cartridges.
Also, it has yet to be evaluated if the percentage of defective original cartridges does not exceed the percentage of defective refilled cartridges. That is to say, any defective performance, between new or refilled cartridges may be the same since they use the same originally manufactured cartridge.
Toner cartridges are made from plastic and small amounts of other materials. The plastic in each cartridges takes approximately 3.3 liters of oil to produce . 4 liters of petroleum are also burned to manufacture one toner cartridge, releasing the equivalent of .01 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere
. Thus refilling rather than replacing a cartridge saves approximately 7.3 liters of petroleum and releases 0.1 metric tons less CO2. Refilling also avoids discarding a spent cartridge into landfill
, where it would take minimum 450 years to thousands of years for some parts to decompose.
Toner powder is not toxic but does need to be handled with care. Health and safety regulations must be considered when handling, transporting and storing toner powders.
Gloves should be worn when handling toner as well as a protective dust mask to prevent inhalation
. Spilt toner should not be cleaned with a standard vacuum cleaner
as it can become electrically charged and ignite a fire, and is so fine that it passes through filters and can escape into the room or the vacuum cleaner motor.
Laser printer
A laser printer is a common type of computer printer that rapidly produces high quality text and graphics on plain paper. As with digital photocopiers and multifunction printers , laser printers employ a xerographic printing process, but differ from analog photocopiers in that the image is produced...
toner
Toner
Toner is a powder used in laser printers and photocopiers to form the printed text and images on the paper. In its early form it was simply carbon powder. Then, to improve the quality of the printout, the carbon was melt-mixed with a polymer...
cartridges with new toner powder. This enables the cartridge to be reused, saving the cost of a complete new cartridge and the impact of the waste and disposal of the old one.
Refilling methods
Toner refilling commonly occurs several ways:- Refilling and reuse by the end user. This is normally done by use of a DIY laser toner refill kit that includes a supply of compatible tonerTonerToner is a powder used in laser printers and photocopiers to form the printed text and images on the paper. In its early form it was simply carbon powder. Then, to improve the quality of the printout, the carbon was melt-mixed with a polymer...
, reset chips where required, and instructions for the process of refilling. There are various types of toner powder, and many DIY toner refill products are available either online from ecommerce suppliers or through specialist retail stores. - Refilling and resale by the original manufacturer. It is common for toner cartridges to be sold with reply paid labels enabling them to be returned to the manufacturer for recycling and reuse.
- Refilling and resale by a third party. Many independent companies that sell toner cartridges refill and reuse the original manufacturer's cartridges which they typically obtain from recycling companies. This is generally considered legitimate if the original manufacturer's branding is removed from the recycled product.
- Refilling as a service. Many independent companies offer a refilling service where customers can bring empty cartridges to be refilled. Toner refill franchises have sprung up over the last few years. Such refill chains offer services for customers to bring their empty toner cartridge and have it refilled on site or exchanges with a ready filled toner cartridge.
- Toner Remanufacturing. Toner remanufacturing is similar to refilling with the exception that not only is new toner added to a cartridge, parts that ordinarily wear out are also reviewed and replaced as required.
Toner cartridges cannot be refilled indefinitely, because their mechanical parts (such as drums and rollers) eventually wear out and an electro-optical device (the drum) become depleted or scratched. Organizations refilling cartridges for resale usually clean and test each cartridge to ensure that it is fit for reuse and resale. While several sources offer empty inkjet cartridges to be filled with your choice of ink it is difficult to find brand new empty OEM laser cartridges. A further complication is that some models of laser print engines, like most inkjet printers, communicate with "chips" or fuses inside the toner cartridge which indicate that the cartridge is exhausted, whether or not it actually is. Some research is usually required to determine the feasibility of refilling a particular cartridge.
In general, DIY refilling requires opening the cartridge (which was designed to prevent such activity), refilling the toner and capping the opening that was made to gain access. Some cartridges can be disassembled (carefully, lest you dump the toner contents all over yourself). Others require a hole to be drilled; vendors sell a soldering-iron-based device that melts a ~15 mm hole in the plastic housing which is later closed with a plastic cap, or tape.
There are only a couple of critical things to be aware of: all toner is not the same formula (it's not just a matter of quality), and in some cases there may be separate additions of toner and "developer". Most kits sold by refill outfits include instructions for the particular type of printer or copier.
The following basic types of refill toner (differing mainly in particle size and fusing temperature) have been identified by one vendor while other refill vendors insist that each printer or copier model requires a unique type.
- Apple, HP, Canon printers
- Canon PC copiers
- IBM/Lexmark Optra and similar
- Epson EPL, NEC Silentwriter
- Xerox and Sharp
- Samsung and Lexmark Optra E
- Brother
Kits are available to refill the 4 toner cartridges used by colour printers (cyan
Cyan
Cyan from , transliterated: kýanos, meaning "dark blue substance") may be used as the name of any of a number of colors in the blue/green range of the spectrum. In reference to the visible spectrum cyan is used to refer to the color obtained by mixing equal amounts of green and blue light or the...
, magenta
Magenta
Magenta is a color evoked by light stronger in blue and red wavelengths than in yellowish-green wavelengths . In light experiments, magenta can be produced by removing the lime-green wavelengths from white light...
, yellow and black), or to fill a single cartridge. Kits include a reset chip where necessary.
Toner types should not be mixed as the cartridge and the printer may be damaged.
Effect of refilling cartridges on print quality and printer life
Refilling cartridges either by the end user, or as a service, is claimed by most printer manufacturers and toner remanufacturers to be harmful to both the quality and reliability of the prints, the cartridge as well as the life of the printers.According to the most experienced chains in the industry, refilled cartridges are more likely to exhibit poor performance when compared directly against remanufactured toner cartridges
Remanufactured Toner Cartridge
Remanufactured toner cartridge is a printer consumable supplied with a laser printer. It contains the toner powder and a photo-sensitive drum that partners with the printer to produce the desired printout. It is usually produced by a third party manufacturer that recycles used original toner...
or OEM toner cartridge counterparts. This is sometimes seen when a newly refilled cartridge is first inserted into a printer but is more commonly found later on as refilled toner cartridges are more prone to mid-cycle failure even though adequate toner may still remain within the cartridge.
Companies and individuals that refill toner, however, indicate that in most cases that cost benefits of refilling can sometimes outrun the costs of buying new cartridges.
Also, it has yet to be evaluated if the percentage of defective original cartridges does not exceed the percentage of defective refilled cartridges. That is to say, any defective performance, between new or refilled cartridges may be the same since they use the same originally manufactured cartridge.
Environmental reasons to refill cartridges
There are environmental benefits to refilling the toner cartridges of laser printers. The environmental impact of the toner itself is the same whether it is delivered in cartridges or by itself, but a single cartridge is reused several times, eliminating much of the impact of manufacture and distribution.Toner cartridges are made from plastic and small amounts of other materials. The plastic in each cartridges takes approximately 3.3 liters of oil to produce . 4 liters of petroleum are also burned to manufacture one toner cartridge, releasing the equivalent of .01 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
. Thus refilling rather than replacing a cartridge saves approximately 7.3 liters of petroleum and releases 0.1 metric tons less CO2. Refilling also avoids discarding a spent cartridge into landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
, where it would take minimum 450 years to thousands of years for some parts to decompose.
Safety considerations
Toner powder can be harmful if inhaled, leading to some safety risks when refilling toner cartridges.Toner powder is not toxic but does need to be handled with care. Health and safety regulations must be considered when handling, transporting and storing toner powders.
Gloves should be worn when handling toner as well as a protective dust mask to prevent inhalation
Inhalation
Inhalation is the movement of air from the external environment, through the air ways, and into the alveoli....
. Spilt toner should not be cleaned with a standard vacuum cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
as it can become electrically charged and ignite a fire, and is so fine that it passes through filters and can escape into the room or the vacuum cleaner motor.