Cartridge Collection
Canon led the industry by starting a Toner Cartridge Collection and Recycling Program in 1990, at which time no frameworks for product collection and recycling by companies existed. The recycling program starting from the collection activity (extended to 26 countries as of March 2012*) endured for over 20 years.
*There are other countries where toner cartridges are collected and recycled originally.
A Collection System in Sync with Local Cultures
Owing to differences in local cultures and distribution systems, separate systems for collection were created for each of these 26 countries. In the United States, for example, Canon collects used cartridges through a partnership with a distribution company that covers the whole country. Since no comparable company exists in Europe, collection efforts there began with a focus on dealers.
Four Recycling Bases
Initially the recycling of collected toner cartridges took place at just one location, Canon Dalian Business Machines, Inc. We have since moved to recycling in each area of consumption, wherein this responsibility is borne in each of our four main markets: North America, Europe, Asia, and Japan. Active use is made of recycled parts and materials in local toner cartridge production to see that they are recirculated in that particular market.
- The largest number of toner cartridges are collected from this region. In the interest of improving efficiency, we have built a recycling plant that allows the automatic separation of materials from returned toner cartridges put into the system.
- This base's unique ideas have produced various tools, including ones that boost productivity by allowing cartridges to be disassembled more quickly.
- This base has achieved a 100% recycling rate* through careful disassembly by hand.
- *Total represents parts reuse plus material recycling.
- A recycling base located in the city of Bando in Ibaraki Prefecture. Tests are carried out there in coordination with the nearby recycling technology development section.
The History of Canon's Toner Cartridge Recycling Program
| 1990 | The toner cartridge collection is launched in the USA, Germany, and Japan |
| 1991 | Production of toner cartridges with parts reused started, and sales of them started in the following year, 1992 |
| 1992 | Closed-loop recycling started |
- *Closed-loop recycling
Materials obtained from Canon products collected from the market are reused in Canon products and parts built to uncompromised quality standards.
