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So we just received an email blast from HP, claiming that refilled or remanufactured toner cartridges are not the deal they first appear to be.  To be completely honest, with this broad statement, HP may be correct.

They site 4 reasons why their cartridges are better than the other brands available.  Before we tear apart their reasoning, let’s look at some of the supporting arguments for their claim.

First, a refilled or remanufactured cartridge is only as good as the people, parts and equipment used to make that cartridge.  So if an unskilled worker puts faulty or worn parts in a cartridge in the back of his dusty garage and attempts to sell it as equal to OEM quality, it may be misleading.  Though, presumably those toner cartridges are sold at rock bottom prices.

Secondly, so many companies are now offering alternatives to HP toner cartridges that to make a blanket statement that all of them are unequal is simply too vague to judge.  HP sites a study that compared 7 brands of non-HP toner.  Seven.  We can name seven brands in a 5 mile radius of our fair city.  So from a fair testing perspective, seven represents such a minute number of actual brands, the test seems suspect at best.

Thirdly, HP wants to sell you toner.  Every company needs to sell something to survive, and most printer manufacturers do so by selling consumables such as toner and ink.  The odd thing is that if you read the side of most brands of toner, be it HP or another brand, it states it includes both new and refurbished parts.  So HP seems to be dismissing the very products they make.

So let’s tackle the HP myth busting article:
Myth #1: Refilled or remanufactured cartridges save you money
Truth: Remanufactured cartridges can save you money, if you use a trust worthy brand.  Faulty cartridges can lead to wasted time, money and effort, as well as paper and energy.  This article fails to mention HP has a reported failure rate of around 2%.
Myth #2: Alternative cartridges are just as reliable as Original HP cartridges
Truth: Alternative cartridges can be just as reliable, if not more so.  HP has had a few issues with certain types of cartridges.  The resolutions were found by remanufacturing companies R&D.  Generally speaking, if the brand is trustworthy, the cartridges will be reliable.
Myth #3: Remanufactured cartridge print quality consistently equals that of Original HP cartridges
Truth: Remanufactured print cartridges can have equal print quality in most situations.  Black and white is typically equal, if not better.  Color cartridges do offer a problem when very specific (such as Pantone) colors are needed to be printed.  This is typically not an issue for anyone but people in design fields.  In that case, those designers rarely rely on HP printers.  That’s where Xerox comes in.
Myth #4: Remanufactured cartridges are better for the environment
Truth: Generally speaking remanufactured cartridges are better for the environment.  The argument HP poses is that toner cartridges end up in landfills after they are remanufactured because, “94 percent of remanufactured cartridges sold will ultimately be thrown away due to the remanufacturers’ preference to work with cartridges that have never been remanufactured and the unavailability of recycling for non-usable cartridges and replaced parts”.  This unavailability of recycling for non-usable cartridges is a problem HP has as well.  HP simply fails to tell the reader that little detail.  So if a given toner cartridge is used twice, once as a new HP toner cartridge, and once as a remanufactured cartridge, that leaves 1 toner cartridge carcass out of the landfill for every 2 toner cartridges used.  HP’s way doesn’t allow for that, unless they are remanufacturing their own toner cartridges with the supplied returned toner cartridges sent to them with their return shipping label.  At which point their article is worthless, and ours is a waste of time.
Can’t we all just get along?  And everybody buy Doc Jams toner?

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