A Life-Cycle Based Approach to the Remanufacturing Printing Supplies in Shanghai

Abstract

With the fast growing of printing supplies industry in Shanghai, it creates a large waste stream of obsolete printing supplies and causes great pressure on the environment. The information of remanufacturing printing supplies in Shanghai is gathered and waste stream is analyzed. As a case study of original toner cartridge and remanufacturing toner cartridge is compared in the context of life cycle methodology. The results show raw materials, energy consumption and pollution emission of the remanufactured toner cartridge are less than these of original toner cartridge. Environmental loads equitant including global warming potential, acidification potential, photo-oxidant formation potential, solid waste and fume from remanufacturing toner cartridge are cut 3.61%, 3.84%, 15.24% and 22.52% comparing to original toner cartridge. Its significance is that remanufacturing printing supplies can be more profitable and less harmful to the external environment than conventional manufacturing process. It also discusses strategies for lowering the environmental burden to promote the remanufacturing printing supplies in Shanghai.