Having a printer is a norm these days. Not only at work but also at Home making it very convenient for us to print things quickly. However, this also means that we run out of print cartridges quickly which we then throw away into our rubbish bins.
These discarded cartridges along with other electronic waste such as computers, televisions and refrigerators land up in our landfills causing problems that harm our environment.
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In fact, an estimated 500 million out of an estimated 1.1 billion cartridges sold each year end up in the landfills around the world, according to the European Toner and Inkjet Remanufacturers Association.
These empty cartridges contain up to 8 per cent residual toner powder by weight and could leach compounds into the soil and underground water sources.
In an attempt to reuse these compounds in cartridges, researchers have converted the compound into gases, oils and even as an ingredient in asphalt.
Now researchers from Australia have devised a method to recycle the toner powder into iron using high temperatures.
At a high temperature of 1550°C, the researchers ensured the complete transformation of toner powder to iron. For this they put the compound into a furnace and the process converted the inherent iron oxide to a product that was 98 per cent iron using the polymer resins within the toner powder as a source of carbon.
The researchers believe this method is ideal for industrial applications as iron and steel are typically manufactured at this temperature. Additionally, heating the powder as such a high temperature prevents toxic side products from forming – ensuring that this is an environmentally friendly way of recycling residual toner.
Someday in the future, cartridge waste may be used in building components instead of lying in our landfills and harming the environment making the way for more sustainable recycling and waste management systems.
Source: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
