Epson Australia has increased its partnership with Cartridges 4 Planet Ark. The company has moved from Retail Partner to Full Partner, the highest tier of involvement with the campaign.
The program, now in its 14th year, partners with recycling and recovery company Close the Loop to recycle used printer cartridges for free, ensuring they stay out of landfill. It has recycled almost 36 million cartridges to date, with the aim of surpassing 37 million by the end of March 2018.
As a retail partner, Epson supported the side of the program involving the general public, which included drop-off boxes at retailers such as Officeworks and Australia Post, and the associated education and promotional campaigns. With the move to a full partnership, it will now also support the workplace program, which provides the same services to businesses. Ryan Collins, recycling programs manager at Planet Ark, says Epson's move is great news for the campaign. "We’re really happy that Epson has come on board as a full partner and we’re sure it will help grow the program. It allows us to go out to all workplaces and promote Cartridges 4 Planet Ark," he said.
Craig Heckenberg, general manager business division at Epson Australia, says Epson is pleased to do its part for the environment. “As cartridges are made up of a complex mix of plastics, metal and inks they represent a significant investment in resources. When they are disposed of into landfill these resources are lost.
"That's why Planet Ark joined with Close the Loop and the participating manufacturers to set up the innovative 'Cartridges 4 Planet Ark' program. This program collects and returns cartridges for remanufacturing and recycling - therefore keeping them out of landfill. That’s also why Epson believes in this program and wants to be a key partner in it," Heckenberg said.
Epson joins Canon and Brother at the full partnership level. Konica Minolta and Kyocera partner with Planet Ark in the workplace, while HP serves as a retail partner.