A new blog published by South African business Green Office reveals the significant progress the company has made over the years, not only when it comes to recycling, but also in providing much-needed employment for the disadvantaged.
Penned by Mark Valentine, the blog explains that, since it was founded in 1997, Green Office has “prided itself in prioritising the environment.”
The company started life as a printer cartridge supply-based business but since developed into a document solutions provider, focusing on both MPS and Business Process Optimisation (BPO). In addition, as part of its MPS program, Green Office collects cartridge waste, which is then reused or recycled.
Realising, in 2010, that Green Office was sending “a fair amount of redundant cartridge waste to landfill”, the company formed the goal of recycling “redundant or damaged cartridges”, and, in order to help bring this about, formed the non-profit organisation Green ABLE in 2012.
As well as focusing on the reuse and recycling of cartridges, Green ABLE also benefits society on a social level, providing employment for “previously disadvantaged persons with disabilities”, offering them training and “improved accessibility to the job market.”
Through Green ABLE, redundant printer cartridges are dismantled into recyclable components, including aluminium, mild steel and plastic. The plastic is “cleaned, crushed, then extruded and cut into pellets that can be injection moulded” while the aluminium and mild steel are sold elsewhere to be recycled.
In 2016, Green Office set a target of creating products out of the recycled cartridge plastic and began making portable laptop stands. The release of this new product, says Green Office, “will allow us to make a more meaningful, positive impact on the environment in addition to providing an ergonomic solution for laptop users.”
