In an article by Plastics Technology, Canon Environmental Technologies, Inc. (CETI) gives an insight into the recycling process of its cartridges.
Canon Environmental Technologies, Inc. was formed in 1996 under its original name Industrial Resource Technologies, Inc. (IRT) in Gloucester, VA. Since then the company has seen 500 million lb of toner cartridges from America come through its recycling programme.
As part of a closed-loop recycling process, Canon explained that the collected cartridges are used to mould back into new cartridges once they have been through the processes. The process produces HIPS materials “which is turned into new cartridges with 100% recycled content,” whereby the “HIPS is separated, purified and re-palletised for use in the firm’s in-house injection moulding operation as well as in overseas facilities,” the article describes. Broken and unused parts of the toner cartridges are separated into their materials and are recycled.
Canon VP of Engineering and Engineering Project Leader, Tom Keegan told Plastics Technology that one of the main issues the project faces is that the materials have to be accurately separated and that the machines that handle the material need “consistent maintenance to avoid downtime.” This allows for a better product for moulding the recycled materials.
Looking to the future, Keegan told Plastics Technology CETI is looking into chemical recycling processes.
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