Clean Earth Campaign - Canon's Recycling Crusade!

Launched during the 1990s, Canon USA's Clean Earth Campaign is a global environmental program with initiatives that include the collection and recycling of used toner cartridges from its consumer base.

The campaign has so far achieved remarkable success for today, it is recognized as America's premier corporate environmental management program. In its almost 20 year run, consumable collection has ballooned to more than 110,000 tons around the globe, to tremendously surpass its set collection targets. Used cartridges are sorted out and subjected to a thorough recycling process to conserve energy during the remanufacturing stages; thus resulting to reconditioned imaging components, new cartridges and several other printer peripherals.

Consumers who intend to participate in the recycling program are instructed to follow set procedures outlined in Canon's website; particularly on the dispatch of empty cartridges to Canon through the parcel services of UPS; that is free of charge. Just like HP and Xerox, UPS is the official carrier of packages deposited in particular drop off points and with UPS outlets as well. As added convenience to the participating consumer, shipping labels can obtained from Canon's website and printed directly from the PC. Each label comes secured with a unique tracking bar code to facilitate shipping in an efficient manner.

Canon highly appreciates the efforts of its customers at recycling Canon-brand consumables. However unlike HP's "Staple Rewards" Program; no incentives, rebates or tax deductions are offered in exchange for every toner cartridge returned. Nevertheless, Canon assures its consumer base that it operates state-of-the art recycling facilities found in several sites around the globe. Moreover, empty toner cartridges pass stringent procedures in the remanufacturing of its components.

To further strengthen this commitment, Canon applied for an ISO 14001 Certification and consequently designed its recycling plants based on the ISO standards for environmental management systems. Today, all of Canon's worldwide network of recycling facilities are ISO 14001 classified. This will put beyond question Canon's promise to conform to rated environmental policies as well as comply with ongoing environmental laws and regulations to help conserve and protect the environment.

End users of Canon toner cartridges should not be solely dependent on Canon and its recycling centers for the responsible disposal and remanufacture of used or retired consumables. Recycling can in fact be undertaken on a personal scale. The simple reloading of an empty toner cartridge with a compatible Canon toner refill kit to extend the unit's life for up to 3 or 4 print cycles is already a sign of commitment to the environment.

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The unit's toner cartridge can be recycled

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Get the Canon 104 High Yield Black Toner Refill Kit 4 Pack today !

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Kit refills the following HP cartridges: FX-9 FX-10.

Using a Canon toner cartridge from another printer series? Check out our Canon compatible toner refill kits.

Xerox Green World Alliance - Where Used Xerox Toner Cartridges Should End Up!

Xerox not only gave the world a glimpse of the first laser printer, but also invoked socio-environmental responsibility through its recycling program called the Xerox Green World Alliance. Decades after the first laser printer came out, tons and tons of empty toner cartridges have now found its way into landfills; excreting leachage that contaminates underground water and waterways. Moreover, the volume of greenhouses gases pumped into the atmosphere through its production should not be discounted. Laser printers may have helped us accomplish our printing needs, but it has also left a trail of e-garbage that could decompose in 450 years if unattended in dumpsites.

The Xerox Green World Alliance is one such program launched by Xerox that aims to help conserve our rapidly vanishing reserves and likewise limit the influx of environmental pollutants by recycling empty OEM toner cartridges. In the United States alone, over 110 million toner cartridges are disposed annually.If piled vertically, its height and bulk could equal the 110 floors Sears Tower. Consequently, around $15 billion is required to manufacture these cartridges - that is by the way, 10 times the construction cost of the Sears Tower.

How does the Xerox Green World Alliance operate its recycling program? Xerox Corporation inked a partnership with logistics giant UPS. Through the transport facilities of UPS, empty toner cartridges accumulated in UPS pickup points are fetched and ferried to the recycling plants of Xerox Corporation. The process relevant to individual cartridge returns is itemized as follows:

1. Consumers who wish to avail of the Xerox Recycling program can log on to Xerox's website and print pre-paid UPS shipping labels that are uniquely bar-coded (maximum of 15 at a time) for each pack intended for return.
2. Pack the used toner cartridge using the same packaging or carton from which the item came in and affix the shipping label - one label for each package. Each printed label contains a foolproof tracking number and bar code. Use of photocopied or reproduced shipping label is not advised.
3. Hand in your packed item to the UPS representative once your new consumable purchase is delivered. Individual returns can also be dropped off at UPS pick-up points or outlets. Pick up is encouraged by calling1-800-PICK-UPS (742-5877) or transacting online at www.ups.com - indicating the package as an ‘ARS Return Shipment.’

Xerox now makes recycling more convenient to its consumers through in-house recycling services that drastically cuts down office and household printing waste and in the process help save the environment.


We should not always rely on Xerox Corporation for the recycling of unused toner cartridges. Do-it-yourself projects such as refilling empty toner cartridges with compatible toner refill kits is a simple act of recycling that is of tremendous help to global conservation efforts.