Branded, Remanufactured and Compatible Printer Cartridges

Branded

These cartridges are made by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the relevant printer manufacturer. These cartridges will usually be needed from the beginning of the life cycle of the printer.

Remanufactured

These cartridges are produced from old OEM cartridges which are taken apart, cleaned, rebuilt and refilled by a manufacturer other than the printer manufacturer. Dependent on the quality of the cartridge being recycled these can be recycled 3 to 4 times before the cartridge is retired. This option is environmentally friendly as it is recycling old cartridges. Due to the nature of the process, remanufactured cartridges can take up to 12 months to produce for a new to market printer. This is to allow time for the manufacturers and suppliers to collect enough used cartridges to bring to market and for the OEM Intellectual property (IP). rights to expire.

Compatible

These cartridges are brand new cartridges that are made by a different manufacturer to the printer. The will have some unique design to differentiate them from the OEM cartridge they are based on. They offer the same yield as the cartridge they are based on and will fit the same printers. These cartridges are sometimes referred to as clones, cloned, own brand or aftermarket cartridges.

We have a comprehensive range of branded (OEM) cartridges, remanufactured and compatible cartridges available through our online catalogue. The following is a guide to help you chose the best cartridge for your trust.

You can differentiate which type of cartridge you are purchasing by looking at both the description and the MPC on our online catalogue. Each type of cartridge has a unique code given to it by the OEM, which is adopted by the suppliers of remanufactured and compatible cartridges. For example, for an OEM product the MPC will appear as: CF226X; the same product but remanufactured will appear as: REMCF226X; and for compatible this will appear as: COMCF226X. The description will also state if the product is OEM, remanufactured or compatible.

In addition to the comprehensive range of printer cartridges there are also consumables available that are required to make the printer function. This includes:

• Fusers
• Imaging Kits
• Maintenance Kits
• Ribbons
• Toner Collection Kits
• Toner Waste Packs
• Transfer Belts.

If you require something for a printer which you are unable to find. Please contact us at the below email and we will source this for you from one of our suppliers.

Do you print in black only?

If only printing in black, especially only text, then using a compatible cartridge is a cost-effective alternative.

Is the printer for internal communications only?

If the printer isn’t used for anything external, then using a remanufactured or compatible cartridge is a cost-effective alternative.

Is the printer used for external communications?

If you are using the printer for external letters or if there will be large amounts of colour printing, then you may want to consider using OEM cartridges. For high quality printing, this type of cartridge has the best colour consistency.

How often do you use the printer?

If the printer is not in regular use, then OEM cartridges will be better to use. If the printer is left for long periods of time between uses the ink may dry and block the printer head. OEM cartridges have a special chemical inside them which helps to prevent this.

Are you printing photo’s or coloured printouts that need to last?

If you want a printout to be long lasting (eg, a wall poster) then it is best to use OEM cartridges and where applicable photo paper, as they work together to produce higher quality printed images.

Age of printer?

All cartridges will work well in older printers if the printer is well maintained. Keep in mind the supply level, as older printers are more likely to use a cartridge that will have been discontinued. For newer printers, OEM cartridges may be the only option for up to 12 months as most remanufactured cartridges rely on a steady supply of used cartridges before they can be produced, and most companies will wait a year for the supplier IP to expire.

UK owned and based Banner Group is a market leader in supplying cartridges to the NHS and has been on the national NHS Supply Chain framework for 25 years. Banner work with all the biggest manufacturers and have an extensive stock holding of £50 million products. This covers traditional office supplies and cartridges as well as cleaning and janitorial supplies, furniture, printed goods and technology.

Banner are sole awarded to supply Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) inks and toners under Lot three of the Office Supplies and Solutions framework. Manufacturers include Hewlett Packard, Brother, Epson, Canon, Dell, Kyocera, Pitney Bowes and Lexmark. Dealing directly with the largest manufacturers allows Banner to offer the best prices in Europe on many key lines for the NHS.

Banner also supply their Q-Connect own brand remanufactured inks and toners under Lot four of the Office Supplies and Solutions framework. Q-Connect cartridges carry a fully
comprehensive 2 year warranty (changing to lifetime warranty from spring 2020 when they are launching their Respectful own brand).

Recycling Scheme

• Banner has a free of charge recycling scheme. They accept all brands of original or compatible inkjet cartridges, toner cartridges and drum/fuser units.
• Full reporting and audit trail available with statements showing product code, quantity and weight of items collected.

Process

• Dedicated couriers collect the used cartridges and deliver them to the Q-Connect collection centre.
• Cartridges are sorted and either sent for remanufacturing, or recycling.
• Undamaged and re-usable cartridges are packed, stored and sent for re-use.
• Broken and non-usable cartridges are sent to a dedicated partner to be given an end of life solution. These are broken down and separated into raw materials such as plastic, metals and toner, which is re-used in various injection moulding processes.

There are three easy ways to request collection or delivery of recycling bins:

• Complete the online form, See our Useful Links section for a link to the Q-Connect website where you can find this form.
• By telephone, at the below contact number
• By e-mail, at the below email address.

Bluefish has recently moved to the Q-Connect brand due to their ability to move with the market in terms of new products.

Q-Connect also has an exceptional returns program where the customer registers online. See our Useful Links section for a link to the Q-Connect website where you can register.

They then send out an empty collection box to use in the office area. When full just email the website and it is collected and an empty box is dropped off.

Complete IT Systems Ltd are a leading provider of IT solutions, products and services across the UK and beyond.

They provide a full range of printers and consumables, from small desk-based ink jet systems to high end departmental multi-function lasers. Their extensive consumable product range includes remanufactured and compatible products. Their non-OEM consumables are tested for compliance with strict manufacturing quality standards allowing savings to be made with confidence.

Complete IT Systems Ltd offer a free of charge recycling service for all inks, toners and drum units through their partner Clover Environmental Solutions. This is a simple and straight forward process, contact Clover on the below contact number stating you are a customer of Complete IT Systems Ltd. They will provide a tracking number and collect within three days (minimum 15 units).

All Lyreco cartridges are engineered to perform to the standards of the original. This is achieved through rigorous research, development and quality assurance procedures. Lyreco take pride in offering and maintaining a quality product that is as good as the OEM equivalent.

Every Lyreco cartridge is tested prior to leaving the factory. Quality assurance is established by following clear standards and procedures, along with sufficient inspection throughout all phases of the production cycle. This results in exceptional quality across the entire range of compatible supplies with a guarantee that all cartridges will print at least the same number of pages as the original.

Lyreco branded toner cartridges are under warranty for defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 24 months from date of purchase when stored, installed and used under normal conditions (please see full terms and conditions).

Lyreco are a licenced waste carrier and offer a free toner recycling service to dispose of empty toner cartridges. Their partner then recycles and reprocesses 94% of the parts. Many of the parts are made into new toners and cartridges.

Thomas Stoner Supplies are specialists in remanufactured and compatible ink and toner cartridges, along with general office supplies, IT hardware and so much more. They have been in business for nearly 10 years, with a wealth of experience between the directors and the dedicated sales team. Every member of their dedicated team is expertly trained to proactively work with the NHS to better serve trusts’ needs.

To recycle used cartridges please cemail Thomas Stoner with your details and they can arrange this for you.

Established in 1993, UKLS is a provider of packaged print and IT solutions, individually tailored to provide a bespoke service that will help to make any IT platform flow. Their mission is to provide a unique and quality service, which allows the NHS to significantly reduce costs. UKLS has a proven record of success, and a wealth of expertise and experience in commercial interactions with many large entities across public and private sectors.

Toner Recycling

80% of the total remanufactured toner cartridges UKLS sell are produced in house at their Cardiff based recycling plant. UKLS collect empty OEM toner cartridges from customers and brokers. The remanufacturing process includes dismantling, cleaning, replacement of all components, refilling of toner and are then subject to strenuous quality checks.

UKLS Recycling Scheme

UKLS are committed to responsible recycling. They provide a full toner recycling scheme for NHS trusts free of charge. Collection boxes are arranged to be sent out once an initial order has been placed. Over time this box is to be filled with used toner cartridges, and when full they will arrange for the collection of used cartridges.

To ensure that all products are disposed of in an ethical and environmentally friendly way, UKLS is committed to a strict zero landfill policy. All toner cartridges collected are either remanufactured or recycled by one of their partners.

If you would like more details on any aspect of their recycling scheme, please get in touch with a UKLS representative or visit their website. See our Useful Links section for a link to Uk Laser website.

XMA have over 30 years’ experience working with public sector organisations and are passionate about delivering outstanding customer experiences. An award-winning reseller, XMA are a trusted supplier of print supplies to some of the largest public sector organisations in the UK. The remanufactured cartridges are by Dataproducts and have been manufactured by Clover in the UK.

XMA are very passionate about the planet and offer an easy to use environmentally friendly recycling programme for used cartridges. This facility gives a closed loop process:

1. They supply cartridges, as well as a large collection box.
2. They will collect the box when its full.
3. Then, send the cartridge out to be remanufactured or recycled.

To close the loop, they can re-supply you with the re-conditioned cartridges. This arrangement is cost effective and reduces the amount of waste generated through use of consumables.