Re: [greenyes] Fw: Epson response

["Pete Pasterz" <ppasterz@no.address>]

Well, she never addressed Epson.....or incineration as recycling....

>>> "E Royte" <e@no.address> 09/27/04 01:37PM >>>
Here's what I heard from the Funding Factory (Leslie Spoden, Program
Coordinator) when I asked what happens to Epson cartridges:

<Once we receive cartridges from participants we inspect them and then sell
them for recycling in one of two ways.  Some cartridges are sold to local
remanufactures that refill them with ink or laser/toner and sell them back
to the consumer market at a discounted price.  For example, a new cartridge
can be purchased at Staples for $90 and the same recycled cartridge can be
purchased for only $30.  For quality purposes, once a cartridge has been
recycled one time, it cannot be recycled again.

The second way we recycle cartridges is through sales to the original
manufacturers including Xerox, HP, Canon, Lexmark and IBM.  These
manufacturers break down the components and reuse them if they can.
. . . We have not done research as to the percentage of what goes where, but
we estimate that about 80% of all cartridges and cell phones returned have
value.  While the remaining 15% of cartridges and cell phones have no value,
they can be used for parts.  Fewer than 5% of returns we are not able to use
and are properly disposed of.  FundingFactory is working with a third party
for the disposal of batteries.  We are at this time stockpiling the small
amount of batteries until this is worked out.>