Printer makers like HP and Epson sell us their printers and then force us to buy their own brand ink cartridges - at huge expense - or else lose the warranty on our new purchase. There are many suppliers of “compatible” ink cartridges at much lower cost. 

This means that it is perfectly possible to re-use plastic ink cartridges, reducing the impact on the environment. Several companies and charities will take them for recycling, but they will then turn up as compatibles - which will invalidate your printer warranty if you use them.

The printer companies do everything possible to discourage the re-use of these cartridges. The result is that many are just thrown out and end up in landfill.

And, faced with the price of a set of ink cartridges costing more than a new printer, people are often tempted to just discard their old printer, even though its still working ok, and buy a new one (complete with a set of cartridges)!  And the old printer ends up in the dump, because no charity shop will take secondhand electrical goods. 

This is crazy! More and more plastic being dumped because of the way the printer companies rely on the huge mark-up on ink cartridge sales to make huge profits. Nobody likes being held to ransom like this! Especially when the greed of these companies is not only hurting our pockets but is also damaging our world.

In the face of the serious environmental problems being caused by single-use plastic, it is time to challenge the printer companies to change their ways!

Please help me to raise this challenge with them by signing this petition.