BUSINESS BRIEFING PRINTITRESELLER.UK 47 ADVERTORIAL +44 (0)1427 337 346 www.ecs-uk-ltd.co.uk Remanufactured Toners For Those Who Demand Quality, Performance and Reliability Reliability A Fully Compliant Service For Your WEEE Waste www.greener-side.co.uk Discover Hidden Sales Opportunities Effective Consumable Solutions Issues Compatible Cartridge Concerns Print IT Reseller recently spoke with ECS’s Director Chris Fink regarding an ever-present industry concern; low quality, budget compatible toner cartridges which continue to flood the market. PITR: Why do we continue to see the number of “cheap” compatible cartridges sold within the industry? CF: Businesses continue to battle through various economic levers and barriers, often leading to no choice but to cut costs in whatever areas possible. With the number of dealers looking to save money and positively impact their own bottom-line while doing so, we’re continuing to see an increase in demand for OEM-alternative products. Among these OEM-alternative options are compatible cartridges, some of which are manufactured in-line with OEM specifications, however, a large majority don’t meet these same standards, but still prove to be popular among businesses who are focused solely on reducing their costs, or are unaware of the issues associated with these cartridges. PITR: What differentiates these lower quality compatibles from other product choices? CF: Low quality compatibles are often produced overseas and don’t have the added cost of investment into research and development or frequent firmware technology updates associated with OEM toner cartridges, remanufactured toner cartridges, and higher quality compatibles, which is why they’re highly available at prices which seem too good to be true, influencing consumers choices even further towards these products. Not only this, but inferior materials, parts and components are often used during the manufacturing process, leading to a whole host of problems when it comes to the performance of these cartridges. PITR: Due to this lack of research & development and investment during the manufacturing stage of these products, what issues might a consumer expect to find? CF: These types of cartridge come in all shapes, colours and sizes, however, some of the most renowned issues include; n Reduced toner powder flow due to inferior cartridge design, often lacking a spiral engraved exterior n The use of category #7 plastic, containing dangerously high levels of BPA (Bisphenol A) n Inferior chips n Inferior chip designs fixed in place, which reduces chip contact patch n Weaker toner discharge mechanisms which reduces toner flow n Difficulty fitting and removing cartridges from devices n Weaker drive gears n Manufactured using inferior, nonrecyclable plastic n Unqualified and unapproved batches n Limited compliance with environmental testing standards including REACH, COSHH and RoHS n Failure to reach industry benchmarks and standards including ISO9001, ISO14001 & ETIRA’s code of conduct n High failure rate on emissions tests (excessive levels of cobalt, benzene and naphthalene as well as other substances which are toxic to human reproduction) n Failure to meet eco-design rules n Lower quality prints and potential machine damage Chris Fink, Director of ECS
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