Some people and companies have got into the habit of buying refilled toner cartridges, or of refilling them themselves, in order to save money. Although it seems like it’s a short-term saving, it’s definitely better to buy new ones, or ones that have been sent for remanufacturing, because refilled cartridges can damage the printer and people’s health.
Potential health problems
Anyone working with, or near, refilled toner cartridges may notice a few health conditions – the powders in these cartridges contain polymer plastics, as well as compounds like nitropyrenes that can cause breathing problems and skin reactions. Refilling the cartridges sends small amounts of these compounds into the air, to land on exposed skin or be inhaled, causing allergic reactions and even chest infections. New OEM ink cartridges, such
A false economy
Refilling a toner cartridge does just that and nothing else. There’s no reconditioning or replacement of worn cartridge parts, so these cartridges are already starting to degrade when you return them to work. The cartridges have lots of different parts to them – the drum, the magnetic roller and many other parts. To remanufacture a cartridge properly, these parts must be replaced, it’s not enough to simply fill it back up with toner.
Over time, the roller drums in a cartridge become worn, preventing the toner from bonding with the paper, which in turn causes leaks of toner into the air around the machine. Not only is this wasteful and inefficient, leading to inferior print-outs and wasted paper, but it also exposes people to the toner and health effects.
The savings aren’t that great
The difference in cost between a refilled and a remanufactured toner cartridge isn’t so big that it’s worth the patchy prints and skin rashes. A remanufactured toner cartridge has been sent to a third party that reconditions the cartridge and fills it with toner that’s as high quality as the original maker’s. These remanufacturers have to maintain the same excellent standards as the original maker, so you get the same performance and safety as you would with a brand-new cartridge. When you consider the great toner cartridge deals from cartridgepeople.com, it’s even more reassuring to know that this retailer only uses the best third party remanufacturers.
Refills also affect the printer itself
Dodgy print-outs, allergic reactions and wasted paper aside, using refilled toner cartridges isn’t great for the internal working of the printer. You already know that powder can leak, and if it does, it can damage the delicate insides of the machine, shortening its lifespan and eating up any savings you may have made.
To recap, there are several reasons to avoid refilled toner cartridges:
- You can be exposed to toner when you refill cartridges, or it can leak from already-refilled ones, causing skin and lung problems;
- the refilled cartridges are already starting to wear out and may not last long;
- the cost savings aren’t enough to justify the risks;
- you may find your print-outs are inferior, and
- toner leaking from refilled cartridges can damage the inside of the printer.
As long as you buy remanufactured cartridges from a reputable supplier, you’ll get as good a performance as you would if they were new.