Shredded and sorted plastic. Credit Cartridge-Space
Cartridge-Space discusses cartridge shredding project
Empties collector speaks of cartridge shredding business success and plans for the future.
After launching its cartridge shredding project last year, Germany-based Cartridge-Space has seen the business grow, with new facilities planned for the future as the project develops.
The project involves aftermarket companies selling non-reusable inkjet cartridges to Cartridge-Space, which takes a different approach to thermal disposal; preparing and separating each component of a cartridge – plastics, metals and sponges – by optimising the editing process in the shredding so that nothing is wasted. Defective, non-refillable, production committee and overlaid ink cartridges are all purchased by the company.
Prices paid by Cartridge-Space for inkjet cartridges vary depending on whether the shipments are from Germany or elsewhere in Europe and the percentage of print heads included; with prices rising to €200 ($258) per ton for pallets of ink cartridges with print heads delivered to the company’s warehouse.
Commenting on the project, Cartridge-Space’s Andreas Steiner, said: “We decided to start purchasing inkjet cartridges as a special part of the main shredding project because thermal utilisation of non-reusable cartridges etc. is no solution for us. We are a waste disposal management company and work in a very environmentally friendly way.
“Through a new step in the separation process it’s possible for us to pay for defective inkjet cartridges.”
Following the project’s success so far, Steiner told The Recycler: “At the moment, we are planning a brand new facility next to our existing one, and with our new machine we are able to shred an extra 250 tons of cartridges per month.”