Epson Australia has launched an ink cartridge recycling program for its professional printing customers as part of Epson’s ongoing global commitment to sustainable business practices.

A market leader in professional printing solutions, Epson is reducing its environmental impact by introducing a recycling program that meets the expectations of its large format printing customers.

“Like Epson, our professional customers are concerned about the environment and are looking for ways to reduce their impact on the environment, so by introducing a simple way to recycle their ink cartridges we can collectively reduce waste to landfill,” Epson’s Business Solutions Manager, Craig Heckenberg, said.

“Encouraging recycling and providing services to enable our professional customers to recycle is just one way that Epson is demonstrating its commitment to the environment,” Mr Heckenberg said.

In June, Epson Australia’s parent company, Seiko Epson Corporation, announced an ambitious multi-part program to address some of the most pressing environmental concerns facing the global community and how Epson intends to tackle them over the next 10 years.

The program commits Epson to a 10 year plan aimed at:

1) Reduction of CO2 emissions by 90% across the entire product life cycle.

2) Inclusion of all products in the resource reuse and recycling loop.

3) Reduction of direct CO2 emissions by 90%, and elimination of global warming gas emissions other than CO2.

4) Restoration and preservation of biodiversity as a member of the ecosystem, together with local communities.

Mr Heckenberg, said Epson Australia’s professional printing customers can now simply order their ink cartridge collection boxes from Epson’s Pro Graphics web site http://www.epson.com.au/prographics/

“Once the boxes are full (ready for collection) customers call the number on the box and the full liner bags will be collected by our recycling partner Close the Loop,” Mr Heckenberg said.

Close the Loop is the recycling company working with Epson, Planet Ark, and other printer vendors on the Cartridges 4 Planet Ark program to recover consumer and business laser and inkjet cartridges for recycling.

“We all want to do whatever we can for the environment, and now Epson is giving these high volume users a chance to turn their used cartridges to good use,” Mr Heckenberg said.