--- title: "Print cartridges: say no to “greenwashing”" description: They think that by buying a “responsible” print cartridge, they are taking part in a virtuous sustainability process, which includes sorting and recycling in compliance with regulations in force. image: https://blog.altkin-group.com/hubfs/Rich%20Text%20Pasting/unknown-1595412458259.jpg --- - [Help](https://armor-owa.com/support) - [Become a reseller](https://armor-owa.com/become-a-reseller) - [Blog](https://blog.armor-owa.com/) - [Why choose OWA ?](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa) - [Discover the OWA advantages](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa) - [Save 30% on average](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa/reduced-cost-per-page-printer) - [Benefit from certified quality](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa/professional-ink-cartridge) - [Reduce your environmental impact](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa/eco-friendly-cartridge) - [Take advantage of OWA integrated services](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa/professional-cartridge-services) - Online services - [Armor Connect portal](https://www.armor-connect.com/) - [Revialis collection service](https://www.revialis-collect.com/) - [OWA collection service](https://www.owa-collect.com/) - EN - [FR](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/fr) - [NL](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/nl) - [IT](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/it) - [ES](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/es) - [DE](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/de) - [SE](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/se) [![Logo Owa Armor](https://blog.altkin-group.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Armor_June2022_english/images/logo.svg "Logo Owa Armor")](https://fr.armor-owa.com/) - [My selection](https://armor-owa.com/whishlist) - [Where to buy](https://armor-owa.com/wheretobuy) - [Contact us](https://contact.armor-owa.com/contactus?hsLang=en-gb) - [My selection](https://armor-owa.com/whishlist) - [Where to buy](https://armor-owa.com/wheretobuy) - [Contact us](https://contact.armor-owa.com/contactus?hsLang=en-gb) - Menu - [CARTRIDGES](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges) - - Toner cartridges - [Why choose our remanufactured toner range?](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/toner) - [All our products for laser printers](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-toner) - Copier cartridges - [Why choose our remanufactured copier range?](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/copier) - [All our products for multifunctional photocopiers](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-copier) - Ink cartridges - [Why choose our remanufactured inkjet range?](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/ink-jet) - [Our products for consumer printers](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-ink-jet-consumer) - [Our products for professional printers](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-ink-jet-professional) - [Our plotter products](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-ink-jet-plotter) - [Our products for franking machines](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-ink-jet-franking) - - OWA recycled cartridges offer printing quality and performance equivalent to OEM brands with a competitive price positioning and a lower ecological impact. Armor Print Solutions promotes the circular economy and the reuse of materials through the reuse of empty cartridges. Our consumables cover more than 90% of the printers in the installed base, whatever the application, individual or professional. - [PRINTING SOLUTIONS](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions) - - Wide format printing - [Why choose our remanufactured wide format range?](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/large-format-printing) - [All our products for wide format printing](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-ink-jet-plotter) - Printing with ink bottles for tank printer - [Why choose our range of refurbished ink bottles?](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/ink-bottles) - [All our products for tank printers](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/catalog-ink-bottles) - Professional label printing - [Why choose our refurbished range for labelling?](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/professional-labelling) - [All our products for professional label printing](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/catalog-professional-labelling) - 3D printing - [Why choose our remanufactured range of 3D filaments?](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/responsible-3d-printing) - [All our products for 3D printing](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/catalogue-3d-filaments) - - Armor Print Solutions offers a wide range of professional printing solutions that combine technology and innovation, while ensuring controlled printing costs and a limited ecological footprint. With its compatible refurbished offer, OWA works for responsible printing even beyond office applications. - [RIBBONS & CASSETTES](https://armor-owa.com/tapes-cassettes) - - Laminated tapes - [Why choose our range of laminated tapes?](https://armor-owa.com/tapes-cassettes/laminated-tapes) - [All our products for labelling](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-laminated-tapes) - Printer ribbons and cassettes - [Why choose our range of tapes and cassettes?](https://armor-owa.com/tapes-cassettes/impact) - [All our products for impact printers and typewriters](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-impact) - - Armor's ribbons and cassettes provide precise, smudge-free printing for perfect legibility, whatever the type of printer or media. Its consumables offer both a quality comparable to the manufacturer's brands and a more competitive price positioning, to meet the expectations of demanding professionals. - [PRINTERS](https://armor-owa.com/refurbished-printers) - [ACCESSORIES & SPARE PARTS](https://armor-owa.com/accessories-spare-parts) - [MANAGED PRINT SERVICES](https://armor-owa.com/managed-print-services-en) - - [Printers fleet management simplfied](https://armor-owa.com/managed-print-services-en/management-printers-fleet) - [OWA Print Services : the printing solution for the SME businesses](https://armor-owa.com/managed-print-services-en/printing-solution) - [Resellers : become an OWA Print Services partner](https://armor-owa.com/managed-print-services-en/become-reseller) - - With its Managed Print Services (MPS) solution, Armor Print Solutions offers to free companies from the management of their printer fleets, with a triple benefit: the optimization and automation of the management tasks of existing printer fleets, rapid savings, and an eco-responsible solution. - [COLLECTION SERVICES](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service) - - [Collecting cartridges for businesses](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/businesses) - [General-public collection service](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/general-public) - [Distributors : become a collection partner](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/distributors) - [OWA collection : how does it work?](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/free-collection-empty-cartridge) - [Pick-up requirements for your collection boxes](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/conditions-removal-cartons-collection) - [Complete traceability with your material report](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/materials-report-cartridge-recycling) - - As a supplier of refurbished printing consumables, Armor Print Solutions places the collection of empty cartridges at the center of its concerns. This is a key stage in the process of reusing cartridges and toners, which allows us to act in favor of waste reduction. OWA is therefore the first printing solution that gives 100% value to your collected laser cartridges to encourage both the circular economy and sustainable development. - [CARTRIDGES](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges) - Toner cartridges - [Why choose our remanufactured toner range?](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/toner) - [All our products for laser printers](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-toner) - Copier cartridges - [Why choose our remanufactured copier range?](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/copier) - [All our products for multifunctional photocopiers](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-copier) - Ink cartridges - [Why choose our remanufactured inkjet range?](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/ink-jet) - [Our products for consumer printers](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-ink-jet-consumer) - [Our products for professional printers](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-ink-jet-professional) - [Our plotter products](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-ink-jet-plotter) - [Our products for franking machines](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-ink-jet-franking) - [PRINTING SOLUTIONS](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions) - Printing with ink bottles for tank printer - [Why choose our range of refurbished ink bottles?](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/ink-bottles) - [All our products for tank printers](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/catalog-ink-bottles) - Professional label printing - [Why choose our refurbished range for labelling?](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/professional-labelling) - [All our products for professional label printing](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/catalog-professional-labelling) - Wide format printing - [Why choose our remanufactured wide format range?](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/large-format-printing) - [All our products for wide format printing](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-ink-jet-plotter) - 3D printing - [Why choose our remanufactured range of 3D filaments?](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/responsible-3d-printing) - [All our products for 3D printing](https://armor-owa.com/printing-solutions/catalogue-3d-filaments) - [RIBBONS & CASSETTES](https://armor-owa.com/tapes-cassettes) - Laminated tapes - [Why choose our range of laminated tapes?](https://armor-owa.com/tapes-cassettes/laminated-tapes) - [All our products for labelling](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-laminated-tapes) - Printer ribbons and cassettes - [Why choose our range of tapes and cassettes?](https://armor-owa.com/tapes-cassettes/impact) - [All our products for impact printers and typewriters](https://armor-owa.com/remanufactured-cartridges/catalogue-impact) - [PRINTERS](https://armor-owa.com/refurbished-printers) - [ACCESSORIES & SPARE PARTS](https://armor-owa.com/accessories-spare-parts) - [MANAGED PRINT SERVICES](https://armor-owa.com/managed-print-services-en) - - [Printers fleet management simplfied](https://armor-owa.com/managed-print-services-en/management-printers-fleet) - [OWA Print Services : the printing solution for the SME businesses](https://armor-owa.com/managed-print-services-en/printing-solution) - [Resellers : become an OWA Print Services partner](https://armor-owa.com/managed-print-services-en/become-reseller) - [COLLECTION SERVICES](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service) - - [Collecting cartridges for businesses](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/businesses) - [General-public collection service](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/general-public) - [Distributors : become a collection partner](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/distributors) - [OWA collection : how does it work?](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/free-collection-empty-cartridge) - [Pick-up requirements for your collection boxes](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/conditions-removal-cartons-collection) - [Complete traceability with your material report](https://armor-owa.com/collection-service/materials-report-cartridge-recycling) - [Help](https://armor-owa.com/support) - [Become a reseller](https://armor-owa.com/become-a-reseller) - [Blog](https://blog.armor-owa.com/) - [Why choose OWA ?](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa) - [Discover the OWA advantages](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa) - [Save 30% on average](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa/reduced-cost-per-page-printer) - [Benefit from certified quality](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa/professional-ink-cartridge) - [Reduce your environmental impact](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa/eco-friendly-cartridge) - [Take advantage of OWA integrated services](https://armor-owa.com/why-choose-owa/professional-cartridge-services) - [Online services](https://www.armor-connect.com/) - [EN](https://armor-owa.com) - [FR](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/fr) - [NL](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/nl) - [IT](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/it) - [ES](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/es) - [DE](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/de) - [SE](https://fr.armor-owa.com/switch/language/se) ![](https://blog.altkin-group.com/hubfs/Rich%20Text%20Pasting/unknown-1595412458259.jpg) # Print cartridges: say no to “greenwashing” Published by [Armor Print Solutions](https://blog.altkin-group.com/author/armor-print-solutions) on Sep 3, 2020 12:05:32 PM ## ![cartouches usagées](https://blog.altkin-group.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Rich%20Text%20Pasting/unknown-1595412458259.jpg?width=555&name=unknown-1595412458259.jpg) ## Do you really know how your used cartridges are processed? **Many companies nowadays feel they are “doing the right thing”.** They think that by buying a “responsible” print cartridge, they are taking part in a virtuous sustainability process, which includes sorting and recycling in compliance with regulations in force. **This may be far from the truth:** the fact that it is collected does not guarantee a clean future for the product, and no one really knows what becomes of the cartridge concerned. The cartridges collected by manufacturers are in most cases destroyed and crushed, with no sorting of raw materials, and certainly no recycling as remanufactured cartridges. Non-reusable cartridges are dealt with in a number of ways, ranging from incineration (with or without energy recovery) to crushing. At best, metals and plastics are separated out, but without the cartridges being properly dismantled. But as secondary raw materials are to be re-used, they must be pure, which means that the cartridges need to be carefully dismantled to distinguish the different types of materials.   ## With OWA, you know how the cartridges collected from your premises will be treated ! ### Stringent technical requirements and transparency [The commitment made by OWA](https://fr-pp.armor-owa.com/economie-circulaire-recyclage-valorisation-dechets), the first print cartridge brand to recycle its products 100%, is to fulfil these requirements to the letter. Maintaining the quality of the original product is OWA’s priority, in line with its [circular economy philosophy](https://fr-pp.armor-owa.com/solution-impression/cartouche-ecologique) and in compliance with the European wastes hierarchy. All this is possible thanks to a comprehensive remanufacturing and recycling system. These technical requirements are matched by a commitment to transparency: OWA provides the companies that use its services with evidence in the form of a [Materials Audit](https://fr-pp.armor-owa.com/service-collecte-cartouche/bilan-matiere-cartouche-recyclee), which shows exactly what becomes of each empty cartridge. ### Its sorting and dismantling system takes into account the contents of each collected carton At the ARMOR Group recycling centres, the cartridges are separated by hand: those that can be reused as remanufactured cartridges are separated from non-reusable ones that will have to be dismantled. The dismantling is performed material by material to yield new secondary raw materials (plastic, polystyrene, scrap metal, copper and aluminium) that can be transformed into new products. This method obviates the need for landfill, incineration or the crushing of used cartridges.   ### OWA : the concrete results of our joint commitment in 2016   ![](https://blog.altkin-group.com/hubfs/Rich%20Text%20Pasting/unknown-1595412451144.jpeg)     Tags: [Circular economy](https://blog.altkin-group.com/tag/circular-economy) [Back to Blog](https://blog.altkin-group.com) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ## Related Articles ## [A European ambition for our green printing consumables](https://blog.altkin-group.com/a-european-ambition-for-our-green-printing-consumables?hsLang=en-gb) In France, at a time when 70 million printer cartridges are put on the market each year, 8 out of... [Read More](https://blog.altkin-group.com/a-european-ambition-for-our-green-printing-consumables?hsLang=en-gb) ## [The multi-brand choice: a simple solution to optimise the management of printing consumables](https://blog.altkin-group.com/multibrand-cartridge?hsLang=en-gb) Did you know that it is possible to use the same toner cartridge in different brands of printers?... [Read More](https://blog.altkin-group.com/multibrand-cartridge?hsLang=en-gb) ## [Everything you need to know about the quality of ink in your cartridges](https://blog.altkin-group.com/quality-ink-cartridges?hsLang=en-gb) When you buy ink cartridges, one of your main concerns is whether the quality of your printing... [Read More](https://blog.altkin-group.com/quality-ink-cartridges?hsLang=en-gb) - [BECOME A RESELLER](https://armor-owa.com/become-a-reseller) - [CONTACT US](https://contact.armor-owa.com/contactus?hsLang=en-gb) Subscribe To Newsletter NOUS SUIVRE - - - - ARMOR PRINT SOLUTIONS - [Our Commitments](https://armor-owa.com/circular-economy-waste-recovery-recycling) - [Labels & Awards](https://armor-owa.com/circular-economy-business) - [About ARMOR](https://armor-owa.com/social-innovation) - SUPPORT - [Support website](https://support-cartridge.com/en) - [FAQ](https://support-cartridge.com/en/faq) - ONLINE SERVICES - [Access our Collection Extranet](https://www.owa-collect.com/) - [Partner Portal](https://www.armor-connect.fr/) - NEWSROOM AND BLOG - [Press](https://blog.armor-owa.com/tag/press) - [Nouveautés produits](https://blog.armor-owa.com/tag/new-products) - [Expert Advice](https://blog.armor-owa.com/tag/expert-advices) - [Circular economy](https://blog.armor-owa.com/tag/circular-economy) - [Sitemap](https://armor-owa.com/sitemap) - [Personal Data](https://armor-owa.com/personal-data-protection-policy) - [Legal notices](https://armor-owa.com/legal-notices) ![Armor OWA](https://blog.altkin-group.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Armor_June2022_english/images/armor_industry_for_people.png?width=202&name=armor_industry_for_people.png "Armor OWA") - Other ARMOR group sites - [Armor Group](http://www.armor-group.com/) - [Kimya](https://www.kimya.fr/fr/) - [Asca](https://www.asca.com/) - [Inkanto](https://fr.inkanto.com/) - [Armor Industrial inks](https://www.a-2-i.com/) - [Dyalog](https://www.mydyalog.com/)