There is a staggering amount of wastefulness in the printer cartridges industry. Not only are original, branded printer inks a huge investment – what some might say is outright extortion – they are also simply thrown away. The implementation of retrograde technology in Epson toner ink cartridges results in the entire cartridge simply being thrown away after the toner has reached a certain level. This activates a chip which, even though you could try to refill and reuse the cartridge, prevents it from working ever again. It is this utterly senseless and myopic technology that is causing damage to the environment. Of course, nobody wants to see a company like Epson sustain damage, but by employing such a wasteful business model they are adding to the disposable consumer culture that is ultimately driving many aspects of the printer industry. A solution must be found to this business model that is by turns defensive and aggressive. Alternatively, Brother printer ink cartridges can be refilled if you buy a refill pack which makes them less damaging to the environment, however, the results can be patchy and unpredictable.
HP printer ink cartridges can be refilled, but HP themselves often take a dim view of compatible alternatives that undercut their price structures. They have launched several patent complaints as well as claims of false advertising against compatible manufacturers. Ultimately, a question needs to be asked: does another company have the right to produce compatible HP laser toner ink cartridges? Ultimately, it might include reverse engineering technology or at least using a template of technology. This is a matter for the courts to decide. However, a better question might be: is it in consumer interests for compatible printer inks to exist? And the answer to that is a resounding yes, simply because it saves both on price and the environment.