Ink Cartridge Economy

            Many of us have home printers and know the frustration of spending a great deal of money on ink and having various problems with the cartridges and printers.  It seems that the designs of printers are now getting more complex and the printer may refuse to print at all if it believes a cartridge is out of ink, even if it was freshly purchased.

            Here are some ideas from experience and research.  If you are choosing a new printer check in advance as to how toxic the ink is, how long cartridges last and how much they cost, if the printer will work in black and white when the color cartridge is empty or vice versa and if they can be refilled. Ask if the printer will refuse a cartridge or claim it is empty if you take it out to examine it and put it back in … and avoid such a printer as it is the most obnoxious type on the market.  Some home printers promise ink will last a year and offer many functions but take too long to upload and print documents and have complicated or non-intuitive controls. One even advises “if not using the printer leave it plugged in and on to keep ink fresh”… how ridiculous! I find my ‘old’ printer from a few years ago responds quickly with less hassle.  Beware products with exciting gimmicks that look like a bargain but force you to buy costly cartridges or do not accept refills.

While refilled cartridges (and new ones for that matter) sometimes have problems most of the time I’ve had success with professionally refilled cartridges and they’ve gladly exchanged them if there was a problem. Some office supply stores and drugstores have refill services at a fraction of the cost of new cartridges.  An NPR report stated a typical cartridge costs about $30 translating to nearly $10,000 per gallon of ink.  Save ink by choosing an ‘eco font’ or less demanding font. For example: compared to“Arial”, “Century Gothic” uses about 30% less ink. You can search on line for eco fonts to download.  Find one that you like and make it your default font to easily save ink all the time.

            Read the directions and select the most economical settings. The ‘draft’ setting on my printer is perfect for most jobs, uses less ink and is faster than the regular setting which I only use for the most formal letters or photos. Use the print preview function to edit before printing to save ink and paper.  Your printer should have instructions for routine maintenance, follow them so the device and ink last and perform better.  Look for directions on cleaning ink dispensers or cartridges if they are performing poorly but are not empty. I close and unplug my printer when it will not be in use for a period of time.  Keep it away from direct sunlight and heat to help keep ink fresh.   Note the date the cartridge was installed on a card taped to the printer.  Each cartridge should last a similar amount of time with routine use.  If a cartridge fails much sooner than the norm it may be defective.  I have been able to return such cartridges for new ones; I recommend saving receipts and packaging in case such a problem arises.  Taking a cartridge out and shaking it around vigorously sometimes gets it flowing again if there is ink in it but it won’t work. 

The ink in most cartridges is also toxic and environmentally dangerous so read the fine print and choose accordingly.  There are soy based inks available which are safer.  Remember that your printer is spraying out the ink chemicals when in use and once you have printed you transfer the chemicals to the paper and people touching it or places recycling it are exposed to the compounds from the ink.

       Stores often have drop off containers for refilling or recycling used ink cartridges; you may also find pre-paid envelopes for sending them back to the manufacturer and a number of places will provide you with a credit towards new cartridges or other premiums when you turn them in.   Ask the clerk before you purchase what the policy is for refill, return and promotions.  In general as with anything that is resource intensive remember the guidelines: a) select only what you actually need and choose the least wasteful, least toxic option b) reuse the item as many times as possible and c) recycle the item when reuse is no longer practical.   Conscious choices about your buying, use and disposal habits can really help reduce your expenses, wasted time, and frustration and slow down environmental degradation.    

 

Poison in Our Cupboards

            While the FDA requires ingredients to be labeled on food unfortunately most ingredients used in cleaning supplies remain unlabeled. Many of us have long been aware that some commercial products can cause allergies or irritation and that quite a few of them have caution labels on them.  What most of us could not know is just how toxic and complex the ingredients in many common products are.  But that is changing.

            Recently the Environmental Working Group released an extensive study on over 2000 household cleaning products. Some material in this article is paraphrased from their report.  EWG’s website http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners presents useful information for understanding product labels and avoiding products that may pose the most risk. The results are eye opening; 53% of the products rated had chemicals known to cause lung damage, 22% contained ingredients known to cause asthma in otherwise healthy individuals and chloroform escaped from some products containing bleach.

            I’m going to summarize some of the offenders here. EWG recommends avoiding air fresheners all together – in any form – even those that have natural sounding names include chemicals that can trigger allergies or asthma. In addition I’ve read that contrary to the marketing ploys, products that claim to refresh fabric or surfaces in your house or car do not remove the odor source. They disperse toxic chemicals that fool you into thinking things smell clean but can disrupt your healthy functioning.  EWG suggests fresh air or circulating fans instead.  My old standbys – white vinegar or lemon juice – can be placed in a shallow bowl, sprayed from a pump bottle or simmered for a few moments to neutralize odors. Aerosol is so effective at dispensing countless tiny particles into your lungs that it is used for medical inhalers.  Toxic deodorizers or cleaners dispensed from aerosols enter your system just as efficiently.  A friend of mine passed out and ended up in a coma while using spray oven cleaner and had a prolonged recovery.  The trade off of health for convenience just isn’t worth it.

            EWG says anti-bacterial products can spur the development of drug resistant super bugs. The news of the super infections that occur in fastidious hospitals bears this claim out.    It seems that trying to overly sanitize an environment hinders people’s ability to develop immunities. Many suggest washing properly with soap and hot water is adequate and that children are worse off being kept in an unnaturally sterile environment.   

            Next on the list is fabric softener and dryer sheets. I’ve read elsewhere that dryer sheets contain chemicals that can cause depression. I’ve personally had trouble breathing when scented ones are in use.  They warn that these can irritate the lungs and cause allergies or asthma.  They recommend a little vinegar in the rinse cycle if laundry needs softening. I feel we’ve been seduced by advertising into equating perfumed scents with cleanliness. Clean fabric has only a very slight, neutral smell of linen or cotton, etc. and a clean house smells like the outside air around it.  In reality added fragrances are the opposite of fresh.  Are we really fooled or satisfied by artificial scents made of a mix of unfamiliar chemicals? This toxic brew does not belong on the clothing touching our skin or the sheets our children sleep on.   For true fragrance add a touch of lavender essential oil or other natural and safe fragrance to your wash water.

            Two interesting and useful areas on the site are the “Top Products” for safe ingredients and the “Hall of Shame”.  I was startled to see two products in my cabinets have very bad ratings. Natural doesn’t mean non-toxic. Many products with “green” in the name are dangerous.   Surprisingly it seems many dish soaps are toxic and residue can easily remain on your plates.  Make sure you know how to interpret label information and read the cautionary statements on products for starters.  If it says “poison”, “toxic”, “may cause severe burns” or “may be fatal” etc. ask yourself if you really want that product in your home.  Kids do get into things so please be very careful if children are ever around your home.  As a practical matter don’t store dangerous items under the kitchen sink – put them up on a high, closed shelf and have the cabinet lock or have a safety latch on it if children might get into it. 

While it may seem overwhelming one can make changes without much difficulty.  Start with simple, basic, food or health and beauty aid quality items such as vinegar, lemon juice and castile soaps for cleaning whenever possible. Read up a bit on products before selecting them; knowledge is the key to a safer, healthier home.