The true meaning of remanufacturing (vs refurbishing)
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>“Remanufactured” is a
label that can be falsely given to products in order to provide a more premium
and sustainable feel that customers can relate too – something that a vast
majority of organisations are guilty of doing within our industry and many
others, when in fact, their products are simply “refurbished”.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Given our current economic climate, customers around the
world are looking to secure and improve their bottom line in order to give
themselves the best chance at maintaining successful, profitable businesses in
such difficult circumstances which includes battling against the rising costs
of living, utilities, logistical issues and much, much more. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a result, “second-hand” products and solutions have
surged in popularity and are likely to continue to do so, enabling customers to
save money, maintain quality and promote a more sustainable outlook. This is no
different to how our industry is shaping up for 2023; remanufactured toners are
more popular than ever, with compatible toners also flooding the market. As
supply chain issues continue to grow and OEM manufacturers find it difficult to
produce and supply their own brand products, this trend is set to continue well
beyond visibility. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While the use of remanufactured toner cartridges is a
fantastic way of navigating the existing market in its current state and the
barriers that have presented themselves to businesses, it’s incredibly
important to take well informed decisions and gain as much knowledge as you can
about the remanufacturing process the products that you’re buying go through,
as not every product on the market lives up to their ‘remanufactured’ title.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s no denying how far remanufacturing techniques have
come and the considerable impact that second-hand products have had on the
technology industry over the last few years, ensuring that a large majority of
products that could be considered waste are instead reused as commercially
attractive options. <b>As a remanufacturer
of high-end premium toner cartridges ourselves, we’d always recommend a
remanufactured toner cartridge to our partners as we utilise techniques that
have been developed over decades to ensure that our products are able to match
OEM cartridges in all facets for a fraction of the price.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:107%">How do we
do it?</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
line-height:107%"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once a cartridge has been returned to our state-of-the-art
recycling facility, it passes through numerous checks which enable us to
evaluate each individual cartridge down to the smallest detail to ensure that
our demanding remanufacturing criteria is met. Those cartridges that don’t meet
requirements are shredded down (into small pieces of plastic and metal) so that
they can be recycled and reused as raw materials in other product lifecycles in
order to avoid any items going to landfill. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cartridges which do meet ETIRA remanufacturing standards and
our own in-house criteria go through rigorous testing and pass through various
quality control measures to ensure that they’re eligible to be remanufactured
back to OEM standard. This includes checking all parts and components to ensure
key features such as the cartridge shell and gears are intact and in full
working order. Any parts which are likely to compromise the longevity or
performance of a cartridge will be replaced before the cartridge is filled with
premium Japanese toner. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each cartridge must also comply with mandatory environmental
legislation (REACH, COSHH and RoHS) to ensure that all materials and chemical
substances aren’t detrimental to the environment and be accompanied by a
material safety data sheet. This, in combination with our own in depth quality
control testing procedures and externally verified benchmark data guarantees
that our products are suitable to be placed onto the market once again and will
meet OEM standards. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:107%">How do
others do it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We can’t speak on behalf of everybody, but a large amount of
companies who claim to ‘remanufacture’ their products don’t adhere to the same
strict rules that we do in order to make a high-end remanufactured product,
which is why we emphasise the need to do your research into the products that
you’re buying. Despite having the same end goal as us, and labelling their
products as remanufactured, some organisations techniques simply aren’t at the
level required to produce true remanufactured products which are able to
compete with OEM cartridges and be seen as a viable alternative for those
looking to save money while maintaining performance. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We often refer to the techniques used by some remanufacturers
as <b>‘drill and refill’</b>, making the
products that have gone through this process closer to a refurbished cartridge
than a remanufactured one. While these products do still help to make a dent in
the horrific number of cartridges that are destined for landfill, they’re only
prolonging the inevitable, as the reality is that that these products aren’t
fit for purpose and will more than likely let you down sooner rather than
later. It’s important not to be fooled by the ‘OEM look’ of these cartridges,
as the majority of below-par remanufacturers will do everything they can to
make their products look as cosmetically close enough to their OEM counterparts
as they can.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In reality, the benefits of these cartridges appear in order
on paper, <b><u>but there is a catch</u></b>.
The ‘drill and refill’ technique really is as simple as it sounds; drill a hole
in a cartridge, fill it with toner powder, seal it back up and label it as
remanufactured. This technique is the equivalent of covering a leak with tape;
it might do the job initially, but eventually you’re likely to run into big
problems with any product that has been treated this way. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="https://www.ecs-uk-ltd.co.uk/thankyou-for-your-interest-in-ecs-form">Click
here</a></b></span> to become an ECS Partner in order to gain access to our
full range of premium remanufactured toner cartridges and find out more about
our remanufacturing process <o:p></o:p></p>
Join The Elite
Be confident you are getting the most reliable toner cartridges available