Samsung Toner Cartridge: Types and Sustainability

An office will not be rendered complete if there are no printers to convert documents and images from various formats into tangible outputs. While many businesses use inkjet cartridges for their printers, some do prefer toner cartridges. By definition, toner cartridges are used for large-scale printing. They are used to house the toner powder in laser printers and printing is done by fusing plastic particles, black, and other coloring agents to any material with the use of heated rollers. There are many manufacturers of these cartridges for larger-capacity printers and among them, is the Samsung toner cartridge.

There are three types of Samsung toner cartridges: OEM, compatible and remanufactured.

OEM Cartridges

OEM, or Original Equipment Manufacturer, cartridges are products of the same printer company. The production of OEM cartridges is one way of ensuring repeat business with consumers. One way of encouraging printer owners to use OEM toner cartridges is to make threats that warranty will be voided if they use other cartridges. As a result, if you have a Samsung printer that is still within the scope of warranty, you are forced to use only a Samsung toner cartridge too.

The problem with OEM cartridges is that they are usually very expensive compared to the other two alternatives. That is why some states and Canadian provinces declare it illegal for any company to announce any limitation to warranty.

Compatible Cartridges

Compatible toner cartridges are also known as alternative or generic brands because they use new cartridges that have not been previously refilled. Such cartridges look almost the same as the original in terms of size and dimension to make sure that they will fit the laser printer that they are intended for. Compatible cartridges are manufactured by third party manufacturers so they don't carry the brand name of the printer on the products. Compatible toner cartridges come in a variety of quality. Some compatible cartridges produce printouts not as sharp as those by the OEM while the others can produce rich color and crisp printouts similar to the OEM. Nevertheless, compatible cartridges are definitely cheaper.

Remanufactured Cartridges

While the process of remanufacturing and refilling toner cartridges is almost always the same, they are miles apart. Refilling a cartridge entails surface checking and cleaning; thus, it only takes about 10 to 15 minutes, tops. On the other hand, remanufacturing a Samsung toner cartridge requires a deeper and more thorough cleaning prior to refilling and would usually take about two full days to complete.

How do companies respond to the environmental issues brought about by cartridge manufacturing? The process of producing new cartridges for laser printers burns over 2 quarts of fossil fuel. But despite the amount of energy used during production, most of these cartridges end up in landfills where they are buried without rotting.

In order to address the issue of sustainability, several companies have agreed to encourage a company-wide recycling program. Among these companies is Samsung. The company's recently implemented STAR recycling program encourages customers to return their empty cartridge for safe and proper recycling. The popularity of cartridge recycling programs will not only help the environment but will also encourage a more responsible business undertaking.