Stop the unnecessary plastic waste generated by single-use non-recyclable printer cartridges imported from overseas and help bring back, what once was a thriving U.S. Recycling and Re-manufacturing industry for used printer cartridges.

Over 375,000,000 used printer cartridges contaminated with ink and toner residue are thrown in the trash each year, which contributes to over 150 million pounds of plastic waste in our landfills. It can take 1,000 years for a printer cartridge to decompose as it can leak toxic chemicals into our waste stream.

We are calling on state and federal lawmakers to ban the sale and importation of generic non-recyclable printer cartridges.

In the 1980s, the re-manufacturing industry for used ink and toner cartridges was established in the U.S. The industry evolved as a solution to the mass amount of waste used plastic cartridges generated by the (OEM) of printers such as HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Xerox, and other name brands.

Within a few short years, the U.S. re-manufacturing industry grew to billions in global revenue each year. This circular economy provided a cost-effective, Eco-Friendly product for consumers while diverting millions of used printer cartridges from ending up in landfills.

In early 2000, overseas manufacturers seized the opportunity to enter the U.S market and began to import millions of single-use non-recyclable and counterfeit printer cartridges as an alternative to recycled printer cartridges with no regard for the Environment.

While the OEM for printers provide a free recycling mail-in service for their used cartridges, No recycling service is provided by overseas manufacturers for their imported printer cartridges.

More importantly, a used OEM ink or toner cartridge CAN be Re-manufactured several times for reuse which is good for the Environment. Whereas generic ink and toner cartridges imported from overseas CAN’T be remanufactured and result in adding more plastic waste to our landfills. 

In 2005, Amazon opened its door to overseas manufacturers, becoming the most efficient platform for overseas brands and manufacturers, selling direct-to-consumers with no regard to fair trade or the environment.

With very little oversight, exploitation of trade laws, and anti-competitive tactics, millions of imported non-recyclable and counterfeit cartridges flooded the market, undercutting the U.S Printer Cartridge Remanufacturing Industry.

Thousands of U.S businesses that were created to divert used printer cartridges from our waste stream went out of business. What once was a thriving circular economy for recycling and re-manufacturing used printer cartridges has been destroyed and is currently on the verge of extinction.

In 2017, under Operation National Sword the Chinese government banned the import of used plastic printer cartridges headed for that nation's recycling processors. The ban is part of China's efforts to clean its environment and improve its quality of life.

The question is why our government has allowed foreign companies to use our nation as a landfill for their non-recyclable printer cartridges and to destroy the U.S. cartridge remanufacturing industry?

As one of the last printer cartridge remanufacturers in the U.S., we have experienced the challenges that many U.S. companies are facing with competing products from overseas. Within the last 22 years, we have sadly witnessed countless U.S companies in the printer cartridges recycling and remanufacturing industry go out of business because of unfair trade practices.

Lawmakers need to hear from all of us that their inaction is hurting the environment and destroying American Jobs!

Please sign this petition to stop the import of non-recyclable printer cartridges ending up in our landfills and Support the U.S. Cartridge Recycling and Remanufacturing Industry!

Only by working together can we make a difference!

1. Email Alan Friedman afriedman@ftc.gov at the Federal Trade Commission to stop the sale of counterfeit cartridges on Amazon 
2. Email U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce Chairperson Frank Pallone, Jr. frank.pallone@mail.house.gov and U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation Chairperson Maria Cantwell maria_cantwell@cantwell.senate.gov to ban the import of generic and counterfeit non-recyclable printer cartridges
3. Complain to Amazon to take down counterfeit cartridges Phone 1-888-280-4331 or email cs-reply@amazon.com

Support U.S. Remanufacturing! www.DoorStepInk.com

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Learn More
The Fall of U.S Printer Cartridge Re-manufacturing Industry
Counterfeit cartridges on Amazon
Letters from E-waste recyclers
Operation National Sword