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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