Consumables
Recycled printer cartridges help make Habitat House more liveable for Lexington, Ky., family
Friday 18. July 2008 - Individuals looking for ways to be more environmentally responsible and give back to the community listen up!
Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE:LXK) and Close the Loop, a company dedicated to zero-waste print cartridge recycling, have come up with an innovative way to do both.
Worldwide, one out of three Lexmark toner cartridges was returned to Lexmark in 2007 for remanufacturing or recycling. In the U.S., cartridge returns for the past several years have consistently averaged between 40 percent and 50 percent. Cartridges are being collected in more than 50 countries.
Depending on cartridge condition and customer demand, cartridges returned to Lexmark are either remanufactured or recycled through organizations such as Close the Loop, which has developed an innovative solution for recycling electronic waste.
In Lexington, Ky., the site of Lexmark’s corporate headquarters, for example, some recycled cartridges turned up beautifying the landscape of an area neighborhood and benefiting a local charity. They’re no longer just discarded cartridges, though. Thanks to Close the Loop recycling and the individuals who returned them, they are now eLumber, a wood-like product.
Close the Loop donated the eLumber and many hours of labor to the latest Lexmark-sponsored Habitat for Humanity home constructed in Lexington. The durable wood substitute, which is currently approved for landscaping and non-structural use in the U.S., was incorporated into landscaping and a retaining wall at the property.
“To my knowledge, this is a first,” said Tom Little, program manager, consumer supplies marketing at Lexmark. “Recycled materials, like those from inkjet and laser cartridges, often go back into industrial usage, but I think it’s good for people to be able to directly see the benefits of their recycling efforts. And, of course, Habitat for Humanity is a great cause.” Little has served on the Board of Directors for the local Habitat affiliate since 1994.
Lexmark has sponsored 13 houses in Lexington, with the company paying the sponsorship fee and employees providing volunteer labor. Hundreds of employees volunteer each year.
“Responsible corporate citizenship is good business,” said Paul A. Rooke, Lexmark executive vice president and president of its Consumer Printing Division. “The dual benefit of this project, both to the environment and to Lexington, is tangible expression of Lexmark’s commitment to our local, national and global communities.”
The 2008 Lexmark Habitat for Humanity house was dedicated on Monday, June 30, at 5 p.m. EDT. The newly built two-story house is located at 1429 Bryan Avenue in Lexington, Ky.