Refills for Half the Price?
by Catherine Pulsifer
I stood in the line up at the store and noticed a
new booth displaying refills for printers. The
cashier noticed me looking at the booth, and she
quickly said, "They are just new here." I asked her
if she had ever used their services, and her face
lit up. "Oh yes" she said, "I saved over $20.00 I
used to buy new print cartridges for my ink jet
printer and I would pay an arm and a leg for them.
Now, I just get the cartridges refilled at a
fraction of the price." But, the question running
through my mind was, does it work? It was as though
she could read my mind. Before I could ask the
question, she said, "It works just as good as a new
cartridge; there is no difference in the printing."
I paid for my purchases and thanked her for her
help.
I then went over to the booth selling the refills.
The employee was very helpful. I asked her a series
of questions, and she basically told me, that
millions of cartridges are thrown away each year and
end up in landfill sites. The cartridges can be
refilled with ink, and give you the same quality as
if you had bought a new cartridge. She said the
cartridges do eventually wear out. Usually after the
second to third refill, they are no good. What
amazed me the most was the difference in the cost.
For the type of printer I have, it cost close to
$40.00 for a new cartridge, but refilling it only
cost me $18. Half the price!!
I came home intrigued by this new discovery. I am
always looking for new ways to be more frugal -
getting more for my money. I researched the Internet
and found there are many organizations that have
programs in place to accept your old cartridges.
They recycle them. In Canada alone, less than 5% of
the millions of cartridges are ever recycled. It
takes at least 2 ounces of oil to produce a new
inkjet cartridge, and the plastic used in many
cartridges takes centuries to decompose. When I
thought of the millions being thrown out filling our
landfill sites, and the cost of new vs. refilling, I
decided to give it a try.
When my ink ran out, I took my old cartridge in and
had it refilled. It works great. The one downside is
that some manufacturers of printers will not warrant
your guarantee if you use refills vs. new
cartridges. I purchased my printer over 5 years ago,
and it is not an expensive one so I am not concerned
over the warranty as it has probably expired long
ago.
So, if you want to save money, and you want to help
reduce the amount of cartridges going to landfill
sites, have your ink cartridges refilled before you
buy a new one! A great way to be frugal - getting
more for your money!
If you are concerned about your warranty on your
printer and would prefer to buy new cartridges don't
throw out your old one. Donate your empty ink
cartridge to the many organizations now willing to
recycle them. You will be practicing reduce, recyle
and reuse which will help our environment!
About the Author:
Catherine Pulsifer is one of the authors of A Simple
Life - A journey to a simple life, and, a frugal
lifestyle.
http://www.stresslesscountry.com
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