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[greenyes] Fwd: A Message From Epson



I received this reply from Epson in response to my note objecting to their "recycling" of printer cartridges by incineration:

Dear Mr. Muller,

I received your message regarding Epson's expansion of our ink cartridge recycling program. I appreciate your concerns and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Our goal is to provide the most efficient and environmentally safe method of disposing of empty ink cartridges while also being able to help our schools. The research we did indicates that the federally approved waste-to-energy facility we are using is an effective and appropriate way to dispose of these containers and the best solution we have identified so far.

A modern waste-to-energy facility should not be confused with simple open burning of refuse. In a waste-to-energy facility, the heat generated by the combustion process is recovered and converted into usable energy. The energy is produced either in the form of steam or in the form of electricity produced by steam turbine generators. Waste-to-energy facilities have state-of-the-art air pollution control systems to ensure permit compliance. This process reduces waste by 90%, which would otherwise go into a landfill.

It has been brought to our attention, however, that while this process creates a valuable end-product, which is usable energy, many people believe more accurate term is energy recovery, rather than the generic term recycling that we used to describe it. While we believe our solution has many merits, we are always looking for improvement, so I welcome your suggestions for better alternatives as we continue to seek out methods to improve this process.

Sincerely,

Shelby Houston
Manager, Customer Programs
Epson America, Inc.
shelby_houston@no.address
562-290-5445

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