One million certification labels help customers make the environmental choice

February 3, 2023

A special environmental certification from the European Toner and Inkjet Remanufacturers Association (ETIRA) has reached a significant milestone, with one million of the accreditation marks now in circulation.

The certified mark, which showcases remanufactured products with a superior environmental performance, was launched in late 2021.

The mark’s purpose is to help customers distinguish between printing cartridges which are better for the environment than others, differentiating remanufactured Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) cartridges from new OEM and non-OEM newbuilds. 

Since its launch, the label has helped raise the profile of remanufactured products produced by ETIRA members and eliminated confusion about which cartridges offer a very good environmental performance and those with poor green credentials.

Industry leaders that are using the ETIRA certification include GM Technology, KMP, Armor and Innotec.

Javier Martinez, president of ETIRA, said: “We are thrilled to reach this incredible milestone of having one million ETIRA certification labels in the market.

“In Europe, 70 per cent of cartridges are thrown away after first use. Remanufacturing cartridges for re-use can reduce their carbon footprint by up to 45-60  per cent. As our industry takes steps to reduce its environmental impact, every cartridge that is remanufactured is one fewer going directly to landfill.

“Having the certification label in the marketplace informs and empowers consumers to make  the more environmentally-friendly choice when buying printing cartridges. It is better for them and better for the planet.”

ETIRA remanufacturers that fulfil a qualification process and license agreement can apply the certification mark to their own brand of cartridges, as well as any brand of cartridges they have produced for a third party that complies with the license requirements.