Question: Are we required to give preference to remanufactured cartridges? Our staff complain that remanufactured cartridges

1. Produce inferior quality copies,
2. Do not print as many copies as virgin cartridges,
3. Void printer warranty, and
4. Ruin printers.

Response: Yes. None of the listed areas of concern are valid, as demonstrated by years of testing remanufactured cartridges at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as well as testing biobased remanufactured cartridges at DOE Headquarters, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratory, New Mexico. Below is information related to these concerns:

1. Quality – As with other products, both quality remanufactured cartridges as well as inferior cartridges (both remanufactured and virgin) are on the market. When specifying remanufactured cartridges, either specify ones known to have rigorous quality control processes, such as Clover Technologies Group or follow the guidelines for identifying manufacturers of quality cartridges provided in the DOE protocol document.
2. Quantity – To date, the remanufactured cartridges tested have produced as many copies, and often more, than the national standard for each printer model. The national standard is based on a traditional page of text, which covers roughly 5% of the page. Adjustments need to be made when the copies contain a lot of graphics or other print intense material.
3. Warranty - Warranties cover virgin and remanufactured cartridges equally. Look at the bold text in an example warranty for cartridges.
4. Printer Damage – All of the tests conducted had a technician evaluate the printer both before installation of the remanufactured cartridge to be tested and after the cartridge became spent. All evaluations showed the printer to be in the same prime condition at the end of the test as it was at the beginning of the test.

Question: Does no exemption for paper apply to all the types of paper listed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website under "Printing and Writing Papers," such as manila folders and calendar paper?

Response: No. It only applies to copy/stationary paper.

Question: Does bagasse copy paper meet the Federal requirement?

Response: No. Federal purchasing requirements stipulate that copy paper must contain a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled content. Post-consumer means the paper has been used, processed, and is now being used again in the next paper generation. While bagasse comes from a renewable resource (sugar cane), being renewable is not as sustainable as being reusable.