Am I buying a recycled toner cartridge when I purchase from The Cartridge Center?

The Cartridge Center’s cartridges are a manufactured product. We may use a recycled toner cartridge body; however, that is the extent of the recycling. We take the cartridge body disassemble the old contents and discard them into barrels which will be shipped to formal recycling firms when filled. We then sterilize the cartridge body, and start the manufacturing process for a new The Cartridge Center cartridge. All components in The Cartridge Center cartridge are new extended life components, not recycled. Subsequently, our customers receive a high quality manufactured printer supply item, equal to or better than OEM in quality, durability, and longevity. And our price is great! Try our products and we think you’ll agree. Here is more on the subject: The Environmental Benefits of Buying Premium Compatible Protecting and caring for the environment is important to The Cartridge Center. As part of an industry that focuses on utilizing recycled materials, we are proud to produce a product that is both environmentally friendly and cost effective. The environmental impact of choosing remanufactured toner and inkjet cartridges is substantial. The typical used toner cartridge weighs about three pounds and is composed of 40% plastic, 40% metal, and smaller percentages of rubber, paper, foam and toner. About 97% of these combined components can be recycled. Approximately 120 million tons of recyclable material can be diverted from landfills each year just by participating in cartridge recycling programs. The alternative is detrimental. The plastic used in a typical cartridge is made of engineering-grade polymers and takes at least 1,000 years to decompose. Additionally, the process required to make a new OEM cartridge requires the burning of fossil fuel (oil or natural gas). Approximately, three quarts of oil are burned to make each new cartridge shell. Multiply this by the thousands of cartridges provided by The Cartridge Center each year, and it's easy to see what a difference we make to our community and our planet. Remanufacturing saves money, minimizes waste, conserves energy, prevents pollution and is economically efficient. The Cartridge Center is proud of the positive impact it has on the environment. Statistics taken from Recharger Magazine.

Can I call someone with a problem?

Absolutely, The Cartridge Center maintains Customer Care lines for your assistance. Our call center hours are 9AM to 4PM PST, we can be reached at 877-598-6637.

I know that The Cartridge Center cartridges are value priced, but will they perform as long as OEM?

Yes, The Cartridge Center cartridges are ALL hybrids! OEM cartridges are made using components designed to be fully consumed at the same time the toner charge is exhausted. Most after market toner companies reuse these cartridges again, keeping the original components. This can be disastrous for the user, when this cartridge fails. The Cartridge Center’s cartridges are manufactured to exceed OEM standards. We use extended life drums, fuser components, and wiper blades, plus we add more toner than the OEM product offers. This means longer life (more pages per cartridge), darker print (better for down steam copying), and much less hassle to you our valued customer. In the unlikely event that a The Cartridge Center cartridge prematurely fails, our guarantee fully protects our customers. (see our product guarantee by going to www.thecartridgecenter.com).

I’m concerned about our environment. Is The Cartridge Center green-friendly?

Yes, The Cartridge Center recognizes the need to protect our environment. Every Cartridge Center cartridge is delivered to our customer with a prepaid return label inside each toner cartridge box. The Cartridge Center’s commitment to the environment demands that we offer and strive to recycle 100% of the products we sell, and at no cost to you. Simply place your old toner cartridge in the Cartridge Center box, or any box you have, place the prepaid return label on the box, and follow the instructions for pickup. The Cartridge Center will even accept non-Cartridge Center cartridges (non-Cartridge Center cartridges must be OEM in order to be recycled).

Must I login and fill out account information to buy a Cartridge Center item?

We welcome you to browse our website anytime. When you're ready to purchase toner products through The Cartridge Center's "Point of Sale" shopping cart, purchase information will need to be completed. We are confident that once you have experienced our quality and super prices, you will be a returning customer, and you will not need to register again. Simply login to our secured site to finalize your purchase. Additionally, The Cartridge Center may from time to time offer to our registered customers special values.

My firm is desirous of doing business with minority firms. Does The Cartridge Center qualify?

Yes, The Cartridge Center is a certified both as a small business, and a woman-owned minority business.

What happens if my printer stops working as a result of using a The Cartridge Center cartridge?

This situation is highly unlikely, but if you think you’re experiencing a failure in your printer cartridge we have tech staff available during normal working hours to help resolve this problem. Please call our Customer Service department at 877-598-6637. If the problem can’t be resolved over the phone your cartridge is guaranteed (see customer guarantee at www.thecartridgecenter.com).

What if a Cartridge Center cartridge harms my printer?

This is extremely unlikely. However, we have a full guarantee that protects your printer and provides for repair should this occur. Please see our guarantee pledge and fulfillment requirements page (www.thecartridgecenter.com).

What if I get an error after loading a Cartridge Center cartridge into my printer?

It is rare that a The Cartridge Center cartridge will cause your printer to report an error. Please review our help site for some of the common errors returned by printers, and the resulting fix. Some printers utilize a smart chip in the printer cartridge to allow the printer the ability to monitor various printer toner cartridge status points. If you have purchased a replacement cartridge without a smart chip, the cartridge and printer will perform as usual, however status toner levels will not be available, and will return an error. The Cartridge Center also carries most smart chip or “V” chip cartridges, if you wish to maintain toner status levels on your printer at a slightly increased cost at time of purchase.

What is a “V” or smart chip and do I need it?

A “V” or smart chip allows some printers to monitor various status levels of the toner cartridge. In most cases you need not incur the additional cost of purchasing a cartridge with a “V” chip. However, you may receive an error code when using your printer. This error code will not prevent the use of your printer, but will disable printer based status reports pertaining to the printer cartridge.

What is The Cartridge Center’s return policy?

The Cartridge Center will accept returned merchandise. Please see our formal return policy at: www.thecartridgecenter.com.

When I enter my credit card information, how will I know that the information will be kept secure?

The Cartridge Center uses only secure sites when transmitting financial information. All data is encrypted using the latest encryption methods. This process is true for both the instant purchase and login purchase customers.

Why should I buy from The Cartridge Center? What makes them better?

The Cartridge Center cartridges have been tested by the “Rochester Institute of Technology”; and are ISO9001 certified. This rigorous testing puts demands on our printer cartridges never seen in the marketplace. The Cartridge Center’s unrelenting quality requirements mean our customers will experience cartridges that print darker, longer, and with fewer failures than our competition. Additionally, every The Cartridge Center cartridge is tested during manufacture, prior to sealing and packaging.

You claim that The Cartridge Center cartridges print darker, but I can’t see that it’s any darker.

The Cartridge Center cartridges are charged with a minimum of 10 percent more toner then OEM. This allows us to increase the amount of toner that is fused to your documents. Often you can’t see any difference with the naked eye, however, when you reproduce a document printed with a The Cartridge Center cartridge on a copier, your copies will look clean and sharp. This is not always the case with a non-Cartridge Center cartridge.