Issue No.18 - May/Jun 2012
Paying THE PRICE OF GOING
Green
ECO ATM’S
Old Cell Phones For Cash! GREENING OFFICES You Can Help in the Workplace! INDUSTRY Personality Bev Kirby: Inkmate
Contents May/Jun 2012
06
16
20
retail news
street wise
business news
Being Prepared to Pay the Price of Going Green! 6
The Culture of Non Payment Big Fish vs Little Fish! 16
Greening Offices Changing the Working Environment! 20
22
26
28
topical news
industry personality
technical
ecoATM Recycling your old mobile phone for cash! 22
Bev Kirby: ink-mate 26
Remanufacturing the HP Lexmark X560 toner Cartridges 28
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May/Jun 2012 Page 2
E d i t o r s Vo i c e I t ’s A l l A b o u t G r e e n !
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s we begin this second quarter of the year, we celebrate World Environment Day, a global event that started in 1972 and has grown to become one of the most important dates in the calendar of our “Green” efforts. This awareness is stimulated by the UN and promotes environmental awareness and encourages political action. This drive by the UN Environment Program spotlights issues and enables everyone to become agents that participate in the support of sustainable and equitable development. Environment Day brings all walks of life together to ensure a cleaner, greener and actionable future for all generations to come, much like our own industry. We have an opportunity not only to be part of a great industry, but we can all make a huge difference to achieve a clean green world. To be a part of this celebration we are publishing a “Green Issue” and have incorporated a diverse selection of articles on issues that should concern
us all, not only as an industry that is part of recycling electronic waste, but that also creates jobs and assists aftermarket businesses in their green grading and awareness. Sadly a general review of our industry at the moment has shown that so many “Cartridge Recyclers” have become participants in a noxious price war, started by the importation of mould or compatible cartridges from the East. Although this seems to be a solution to the pricing issue it is having an extremely negative impact on the industry as a whole, world wide. These actions have in turn breached the “tacit agreement” between OEMs and cartridge recyclers, according to which we don’t manufacture new moulds. The consequence has been to force them to take action, as more of their intellectual property is infringed. A spate of law suits against high profile manufacturers has ensued, and this has directly affected the supply to smaller outlets and ultimately will impact on the industry as a whole. So
we have to ask ourselves how long the industry will be able to sustain itself in its present condition. One of the few lifelines that we have available to us is to evolve and improve our contribution to the Carbon Footprint in South Africa. The statistics of our declining resources and the impact of waste on all our economies is not just a “Greenies” fairytale – it’s a full blown reality! At present we have enterprising entrepreneurs making representation to DTI and SARS to get recognition for our industry and the role it plays in our environment. Instead of copping out and using compatibles, let’s count the cost of not going Green and try to revive our lagging efforts to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!!
Maureen Van Der Riet South African Editor Consumables Magazine
Editorial team Publisher Jose Bustamante Lopez Editor Maureen Van Der Riet No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of Ediciones Consumibles SL. All rights reserved.
Subeditor Duncan Bouwer duncan@smartcraft.biz 0828254448
Design and Layout Jeff Holbrook 0727888301
T: 084 511 5441 F: 2731 262 1096
Journalists Matt Campaign-Scott Mandy Barrett
e: sales@consumablesmagazine.com w: www. consumablesmagazine.com
Published by: Ediciones Consumibles S.L. Spain CIF: ES B85340552
Being Prepared to Pay the Price of GOING
GREEN! by Matt Campaign-Scott
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ne may argue that ‘going green’ is not a sacrifice but rather an investment. Currently, green expenses are concealed. In the pursuit of all matters Green do we consider the concealed expenses? Let’s look at some common and not so common sense examples. Home is Where the Heart is: the Micro Level Seeking out the concealed expenses of going green requires common sense and no shortage of balance. A for instance: if you change from disposable nappies to towelling nappies you may preserve some trees; then again, you must now acquire a solution to cleanse those nappies without inflicting harm on the environment somewhere else. Similarly you will need to consider the environmental impact of producing the towelling nappy. It’s all about research and how much effort you are prepared to put into this process. Then you need to stay the course, unlike those guys who menacingly change lanes on the highway and end up reaching the same destination as everyone else milliseconds sooner. Not finishing what you started may just increase your expenses. So pick a lane and stick with it. A few practical examples. Concealed expenses exist in socalled ‘green’ plastics; we do not see
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the waste in the manufacture of the product, or the disposal of it. Glass is still a far better choice, no matter how ‘green’ the newer, lightweight plastic bottle is said to be. Preparing a compost unit for kitchen scraps and other household waste seems like a good move. But there are hidden expenses if you don’t research building it correctly. Creatures are attracted by the tiniest scent of decaying food. Rats, dassies and stray cats can move into your garden and home before you know it. It’s worth investing in an animal-proof compost bin, it will save on the concealed expenses of damages and presence of the abovementioned vermin.
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urchase the best and sturdiest recycle bins for your Mondi bags, (or whatever they have in your area.) If these heavy plastic bins are damaged the impact is severe on the environment since heavy duty plastic is a land fill’s permanent resident. Metal cans are best since they will break down. The concealed expense is the heavy plastic to the environment. Planting trees seems unlikely to have concealed expenses, but when you consider the long term damage potential to water pipes, septic tanks and sewerage pipes, not to mention building foundations in just a few years of a poorly positioned tree, one can see why some common sense research is required. It may be the difference between gutters filled with
fruit or lovely shade on a summer’s day.
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here are concealed expenses to growing your own crops too. It’s important to factor into the equation the watering of crops, cost of tools and whether you’re prepared to do the labour yourself. Of course physical exercise is a plus on this scale. The rewards of healthier, fresher and more convenient food goes without saying, but it’s not free. Finally products: Many consumers are prepared to pay a higher purchase price for green products. As many of these products have been marketed for relatively short periods of time, demand and supply for them is still limited and prices are higher due to a lack of significant economies of scale that are there for truly mass products. Additionally the technologies entrenched in these items are new, keeping manufacturing costs high until companies figure out more efficient and cheaper ways of building these novel products. So the concealed expense is present but it seems it’s also understood by the consumer. Similarly, upkeep and repair costs will be higher than for conventional products, for the same reasons that product purchase prices are. At the Macro Level Most areas in South Africa average May/Jun 2012 Page 6
more than 2 500 hours of sunshine per year, and average solar-radiation levels range between 4.5 and 6.5kWh/ m2 in one day. Solar power is a viable option for the future of power at the macro level, an ultimate green dream. But there are concealed expenses.
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hile it may seem like a wonderful notion to never have to pay for electricity again in favour of free, natural energy forms such as wind and solar power, the actual process of switching to this green living lifestyle can be exorbitantly expensive. While over time, these energy saving installations would pay for themselves and save you money in the long run, many people cannot afford these installations. Solar panels for example are incredibly expensive to the point where only the wealthy can afford them.
On the one hand we can save money by taking shorter showers instead of long baths to reduce water consumption, turn off appliances, cell phones and computers when not in use and to conserve battery power (subsequently reducing the need to
charge them as often.) On the other hand there is a price to pay for “going green” whether it’s capitalising poor communities to acquire solar powered geysers or compromising the beauty of nature with wind farms. The Environment has one fundamental code that nothing is squandered, and all is a nutrient for something else in the cycle of life. It’s also true that, there’s no free lunch.
One redeeming situation is the Eskom Solar Geyser initiative whereby home owners are encouraged to replace their geysers with solar powered units subsidised by Eskom. The window opportunity closes in 2014 though. Other rumblings are coming from Cosatu since many local firms producing solar power components have closed down due to cheap foreign imports. The resulting job losses are a not so concealed expense of going green. On the wind power front, the Cape seems to be leading the way: applications for at least 88 wind farms have been received by the Eastern and Western Cape authorities and some of these wind farms are expected to have as many as 600 turbines located on them. Each wind farm application has to be accompanied by an environmental impact assessment. Each turbine is between 80 metres and 120 metres tall, the height of a 20or 30-storey building. While there has not been much public response to the wind farms, some communities have already lodged objections against the planned wind farms and one project, in Brittania Bay, has been delayed because of opposition from residents of the town. Elsewhere in the world objections are raised due to the harm caused to the environment, sound pollution and tarnishing of the natural scenery. Hence there is a concealed expense to consider there too. So there are many ways to go green in the world but a word to the wise is to do it right, do the research and use common sense and weigh up what you’re prepared to spend/sacrifice when you’ve calculated the concealed expenses. Consumables Magazine
May/Jun 2012 Page 7
Press Release
The Fastest Printer in the World: 100 Pages Per Minute
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rother has unveiled the fastest printer in the world, spitting out pages at 100 per minute. Presented as a perfect middle ground between inkjet and laser printing, it’s primarily intended for corporate use. Nobody has the slightest inkling what it’s called, how much it will cost, or when it will be released. But Digital Versus did see it—and filmed it—at work. According to them, it really does exist. It’s official, 100 pages per minute is now the fastest printing speed on the market. The technology is based on a single 21.5 cm-wide print head with no fewer than 5,198 nozzles. The mysterious printer performs somewhat like a departmental printer. A multitude of trays can be added for different paper types in order to produce the quantities needed for massive printing jobs. It is capable of simultaneous double-sided printing and the print head is stationary. Brother claims that it halves both printing costs and the machine’s carbon footprint.
Static Control Releases New, Improved Toner for Dell® 3130 and Xerox® 6280 Printer Cartridges Static Control has released a new, improved toner for cartridges used in Dell® 3130 and Xerox® 6280 printers. The new toner eliminates light density and fuser-related print defects.
Brother has been confirmed the Number One A3 Multifunctional Printer
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rother has been confirmed as the number one A3 multifunction printer in Europe with the majority of the market share. Brother has achieved the number one position in the European A3 multifunction printer marker, after securing a 16.8% share of the overall European market. The latest figures from Infosource show the impact Brother has had on the market since launching the world;’s first A3 inkjet allin-one machine in 2008.
Poor fusing can also occur because the high and low melting point of the toner is not properly optimised for this fuser application.
Phil Jones, sales and marketing director for Brother, said: “We identified a gap in the market for a cost effective A3 solution which has allowed us to successfully introduce our all-in-one inkjet machines. This success has been strengthened by our careful strategy of supporting ambitious small businesses, who appreciate the importance effective technology. The functionality and affordability of our A3 models has made them a popular choice, allowing small businesses to save money by bringing much of their professional printing inhouse.”
Static Control’s new toner solves these problems with improved flow and fusing.
The A3 multifunction market has seen a 132% growth in Europe during the
Some aftermarket toners in the primary hopper of the Dell® 3130 and Xerox® 6280 often clog while moving through the toner chamber before mixing in the carrier chamber. This prevents toner from being supplied to the magnetic developer roller, which can cause light print density and trigger a “Remove Tape Seal” error on the printer.
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last five years and continues to grow. Brother is the only brand to offer a fully multifunctional inkjet that can print, scan, copy and fax in A3 and sold more A3 multifunction printers in Europe than any other manufacturer during 2010. The launch of the new range is supported by Brother’s 141% marketing campaign, which was introduced last year to promote its A3 models and will continue throughout the current financial year. Europe’s A3 leader-board:
multifunction
market
Brother (16.8% market share) Ricoh (15.9% market share) Canon (14.6% market share) Konica Minolta (11.6% market share) Xerox (10.0% market share) Sharp (6.6% market share) Toshiba (6.1% market share) Kyocera (5.1% market share) HP (4.1% market share) Others (9.3% market share)
www.brother.com May/Jun 2012 Page 8
OCP inks for HP No. 932/932xl and HP No. 933/933XL cartridges
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OCP’s research & development department has found the following already known inks for also being suitable for the new HP No. 932 / 932XL and HP No. 933 / 933XL cartridges:
qual to HP’s No. 950 / 951, the new HP No. 932 / 932XL and HP No. 933 / 933XL cartridges are installed directly on top of the permanent printhead and not separately as in older HP Officejet models. Shape and technical setup is also the same as of the HP No. 950 / 951 cartridges. Up to now these new cartridges are being used only in the HP Officejet 6100e, HP Officejet 6600h and HP Officejet 6700h printers. The printers are equipped with a permanent printhead which is carrying four individual cartridges. They are declared to have a resolution of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi and are able to print up to 16 black pages and up to 9 coloured pages per minute.
Samples are - as always - available in 0,25kg packaging. For individual samples and quantities please inform us about your detailed demand.
Your OCP Sales Team!
+49-2327-6020123 sales@ocp.de www.ocp.de
KMP
Know how in modern printing
inkjet/toner
cartridges
empties collection 24 months guarantee JHB: 011 792 0040/1/2 CT: 021 709 0190 DBN: 031 579 4683 Consumables Magazine
www.kmp.com
ribbon for P.O.S
May/Jun 2012 Page 9
HP confirm 27,000
job cuts by 2014
Lexmark to speak at Focus on Europe The Recycler and ETIRA are pleased to announce that Lexmark’s Andrew Gardner will speak at the upcoming Recycler/ETIRA Focus on Europe conference on 28-29 June 2012 at the Holiday Inn, Nice, France.
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ight percent workforce reduction to reduce cuts by up to $3.5 billion a year, to be “reinvested” back into the company. HP has confirmed intentions to cut 27,000 jobs by the end of 2014, reports the BBC, representing a global workforce reduction of eight percent which the OEM claims will reduce costs by $3.5 billion (€2.7 billion) a year. The OEM has declined to comment on where the reductions will take place, with a spokesperson stating: “We have not yet announced specific plans with regards to specific locations. We do not expect the workforce reduction to impact just about every business and region.” Previously, Bloomberg claimed an anonymous source specified that HP’s enterprise service group would see as much as 10,000 to 15,000 job losses as a result of declining profitability. The workforce reduction is cited by HP as part of a “productivity initiative designed to simplify business processes”. The job cut announcement accompanies the release of HP’s latest quarterly releases, which reveal that the OEM performed better than analysts had expected, with profits reporting noting a decline of 31 percent to $1.6 billion (€1.2 billion). Meg Whitman, CEO of HP, commented: “This quarter we exceeded our previously provided outlook and are executing against our strategy, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
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orldwide Brand Protection Manager Gardner will present an OEM perspective on the clones issue that is impacting on the European market today.” The conference discusses the issues of the day impacting on the European toner and inkjet remanufacturing industry and will be a celebration of 10 years of ETIRA working for the industry. The conference will kick off on 28 June with the ETIRA General Congress at 15:00 followed by a Cocktail Reception from 18:0019:30 and is followed with the Celebration Dinner. David Connett, Editor and Publisher of The Recycler commented: “We are very pleased to have Lexmark give their perspective on the clones issue which is impacting on all aspects of the industry.
The more we understand the issue, the more companies can respond to this market challenge.” Opening remarks on 29 June will be followed with sessions on the imaging market today: clones in the European market; business opportunities in Europe; and the impact of and the issues of introducing MPS into your business. For more information or to register for the conference, visit www. therecycler.com/foe.
Cartridge World North America launches mobile franchise opportunity! A new mobile franchise opportunity offering a direct delivery service for business customers is being launched by cartridge retailer Cartridge World North America. The retailer states that it is offering the business opportunity to entrepreneurs who have an appetite to build a business, and believes that it will provide a new level of customer convenience by delivering Ò over 400 ink and toner products for every major brand of printer, copier, facsimilie or postage machineÓ directly to business customers using a fleet of delivery vans. With the custom-branded delivery vans serving as the franchise ownerÕ s Ò mobile office, delivery vehicle and billboard”, and the franchise requiring a low investment of less than $125,000 (Û 99,000), Frank Case, President of Cartridge World North America described the business venture as Ò ideal for entrepreneurs who envision owning a fleet of delivery vans to service several communities or seek to open a brick and mortar at a later timeÓ . The company also highlights that the relatively low investment requirement means the franchise is appropriate for single- or multiple-territory ownership. Case added: Ò This new business opportunity will meet the needs of consumers in new locations across the country, while helping the company reach its annual growth projectionsÓ . May/Jun 2012 Page 10
The Future looks BRIGHT! By Peter Svensson-New York
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ow much would you pay for an amazing, state-of-the-art light bulb? Shoppers were asking themselves that very question on Earth Day (April 22) when the bulb that won a $10 million government contest went on sale. The bulb is the most energy-efficient yet, lasts about 20 years and is supposed to give off a pleasing, naturallooking light. But what separates it from the pack most is the price tag: $60. That’s the price that reflects the cost of the components, especially the top-notch chips, or diodes, that give off the light, and that’s the price commercial customers will pay. But the manufacturer, the Netherlandsbased Philips, is discounting it right away to $50 for consumers, and working on deals with electric utilities to discount it even further, by as much as $20 to $30. This means the bulb will cost anywhere from $20 to $60, depending on where it’s found. Online, consumers will be paying $50 for each bulb, because utilities don’t subsidise online sales. American Congress launched the L Prize contest in 2007, with the goal of creating a bulb to replace the standard, energy-wasting “incandescent” 60watt bulb. The requirements were rigorous, and Philips was the only entrant. Its bulb was declared the winner last year, after a year and a half of testing. The contest stipulated that the winning bulb be sold for $22 in its first year on the market. In that context, the $60 price tag has raised some eyebrows. Ed Crawford, the head of Philips’ U.S. lighting division, said it was always part of
Pelikan rebrands
as Prime Printing Technologies
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nk specialist will continue to operate in Switzerland and continue to offer all existing products. Pelikan Hardcopy Production AG has announced a forthcoming change in branding to Prime Printing Technologies, and will continue to offer all existing products but through an updated philosophy and mission
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the plan to have utility rebates bring the price down to that range. Utilities already offer rebates on energy-saving products like compact-fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs. In return for efforts to curb energy use, regulators allow utilities to raise their rates. The discounts are invisible to consumers —the utilities pay the stores directly. For $25, or even $35, the bulb looks like a good investment compared to an incandescent bulb. It uses only 10 watts of power, meaning saves about $8 per year in electricity if it’s used four hours a day. It’s expected to last at least 30,000 hours, or thirty times longer than an incandescent. At four hours per day, that’s 20 years. But the Philips bulb is not only up against $1 incandescent bulbs. Compact fluorescents, or CFLs, are nearly as energy efficient. They use about 15 watts for 60 watts worth of light. They’re much cheaper too, typically costing around $5. The Philips bulb looks odd too —the light-emitting surfaces are yellow when the bulb isn’t lit, yet shine white when it is.
may be expensive, but the technology the company developed for the prize submission has already been used successfully in its cheaper Ambient LED lights.
The Philips bulb has some advantages over a CFL: it lasts three times longer and gives off a more naturallooking light. It doesn’t contain the toxic mercury vapor inside CFLs, which creates a minor hazard when they break. Philips has been selling a cheaper, less efficient version of the L Prize bulb since 2010, and Crawford says it’s done well —LEDs now account for about 20 percent of Philips’ U.S. lighting sales, up from nearly zero three years ago. Crawford credits the L Prize with pushing the company to focus research efforts on LED bulbs. The finished product
“It’s the question we always receive: ‘Well gee, wouldn’t the technology have developed this way without the L Prize?’ I think it absolutely would have. The real question is: ‘How quickly would it have happened?” Crawford said. The company is three to five years ahead of where it would have been without the goading of the prize, he said. The race is now on to produce LED bulbs that produce 100 watts worth of light. The incandescent equivalents are no longer made or imported, victims of a federal ban that kicked in a the beginning of the year. They’re now starting to disappear from store shelves. Squeezing enough LEDs into a bulb-sized space to produce that much light is a big technical challenge — LEDs generate heat, which destroys them over time unless they’re well cooled. Incandescent bulbs of 40 watts and above will be banned in 2014.
statement. The decision comes following months of “[studying] the future development of our company in depth, in view of the difficult economic and structural situation”, and a keenness to build on the “decades of experience and enormous market-proven development, manufacture and sales of imaging toners and inks to the printing industry”. Stating that the Prime Printing Technologies philosophy is built on “uncompromising customer focus,
professionalism and high quality continuity ensured by strict monitoring and control” the brand change is set to occur shortly. Pelikan concludes: “All of our customers should be able to benefit directly from the innovators and achievements of our technology to an even greater extent than at present […] in this way we are real facilitators who enable our market partners in industry and distribution to achieve substantial and sustainable success: your success is our goal!”
M a y / J u n 2 0 1 2 P a g e 11
Article by Mandy Barrett
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orld Environment day, or WED, as it is commonly known, is celebrated every year on the 5 June, and is an initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme. The first time that the environment was honoured this way, was in 1973, and every year a different country hosts the day. This year, WED, themed “Green Economy- Does it include you”, is being hosted by Brazil. The country proudly launched their “Green Passport’s” on the day, following in the wannabe non carbon footsteps of countries like Ecuador, Costa Rica, France’s Overseas Territories, and South Africa. A “Green Passport” is a passport style document handed out to tourists with tips and initiatives geared at “green holidaying”. The success of this idea has encouraged countries like Brazil, who are expecting mass tourism with the looming Rio +20 Summit, FIFA 2014 and the summer Olympics in 2016, to join in the initiative.
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he theme for this year encourages each and every human earth dweller to become more involved on a day to day basis, and within every sector of our lives. It is therefore no surprise that ideas like the green passport are being launched. The reality of the current trend towards environmental awareness is that there appears to be little change, and so now, it is up to each person to consider their impact on our planet. One can no longer refuse to recycle, or re-use. One can no longer eat sustainably all year and with abandon while on holiday.
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We have to consider every move we make, and its impact on our planet – from eating chocolate to using air freshener. During the week long talks following WED, various environmental issues will be covered.
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long with greening our planet – which strangely enough was pretty green before we started, but it seems that the human race will only learn through repeat mistakes – we have to consider poverty, and this brings to the fore issues like sustainable farming. While we joyfully plant our mini veggie patches, corporate giants are poisoning wheat fields with genetically modified seeds, and force feeding farm animals to produce more meat, at a lower cost than ever before. This not only has an impact on the environment, by removing natural vegetation, use of pesticides and soil degradation, but also pushes smaller farmers out of business, creating both unemployment and poverty. A poor man is more likely to purchase cheaper, and less environmentally friendly products than one who is wealthy, and can make greener choices.
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reating greener products at a reasonable cost is the way forward. Too many companies go green but charge more. The positive business side of greening will also be covered, during World Environment week. Some businesses will benefit from recycling, using less packaging and reduction of carbon footprint, and therefore spending less. Think local business boom. Think open options for entrepreneurs. And of course the usual
promise of job creation. Weather patterns will also be covered. You may yawn at repeated threats of global warming, but a change in a countries weather pattern may render it uninhabitable, or encourage massive use of air-conditioners or heating appliances – both a drain on energy resources and contributors to pollution in various stages. A country that does not encourage change within their local governing policies may be heading towards a disaster that cannot be saved by an effective economy or impressive GDP graph.
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ot to lag behind, the insurance sector has entered the green drive, considering the impact of environmental change and the manageability of this. Water, our most important resource of all, will of course get sipped throughout the summit. No, seriously, the United Nations will reveal its’ Water Status Report, which tracks progress towards integrated water resources management as well as highlighting successes and recommending new measures to help tackle pressures on water resources. Considering that we have been talking about these issues for several years now, I will forgive you for yawning at this point and turning the page. However, there are rumblings, soft murmurings and muzzled voices being heard throughout the current summit. There appears to be a mild panic setting in, brought on by the realisation that a whole lot of talking is not going to make any change. Despite policy change and
May/Jun 2012 Page 12
world –wide agreements, there has not been a remarkable improvement in the general state of the planet.
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t sadly appears to be a case of the doctor not really handing out the right medicine. Or perhaps just targeting the symptoms and not the cause. Large corporations can no longer ignore the need for sustainability in all sectors of their production and sales. Neither can you. We all need to make major changes in our lives, from our work environments to our homes, and even extending to our social lives and holidays.
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witch off the lights, turn off your PC, save energy. Eat sustainably and organically. Refuse to eat farmed meats, stick to free range and hormone free. Avoid using products that are not sustainable, or use too much energy to produce. Recycle. Encourage others to change their attitudes. Save water. Dig that cottage garden. Research everything you use. The only time to change is now. Today. And then maybe we can ensure a planet for future generations.
Lexmark releases
GSC Imaging LLC
launches New Wide Format Bulk Pigment Inks
counterfeit detection app for SmartPhones
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emxark has released a counterfeit detection app for smartphones. This app enables customers to verify Lexmark-branded inkjet cartridges by scanning barcodes on packaging. Lexmark has announced the release of an anti-counterfeiting app for smartphones and tablet devices capable of verifying the legitimacy of Lexmark-branded inkjet cartridges by scanning the barcode and serial number of packaging. The OEM has highlighted the need for such an app, detailing that “countetfeiters sometimes illegally
reuse and refill Lexmark cartridges and package and sell them as original Lexmark goods. The origin and quality of these cartridges are unknown to the customers, and they can sometimes leak, run out after a few pages, not work at all or even damage a printer”. The app is available on iOS, Android and Blackberry devices. Users without a smart device can input the serial number at Lexmark.com/ identify.
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nkjet ink developer and manufacturer GSC Imaging releases new compatible bulk inks for a wide range of wide-format plotters. Based on popular demand and the recent release of new aftermarket chips… GSC is pleased to announce its latest generation of wide gamut, wide format pigment inks for the Canon iPF8300 and the Epson Stylus Pro 7900/9900.
Launches New Website
New compatible Bulk Ink for the 12 color Canon iPF8300 including Red, Green, and Blue. New compatible Bulk Ink for the 10 color Epson Stylus Pro 7900/9900 including the all new Orange and Green. GSC has expanded its digital bulk ink product offering, now remanufacturers and refillers in the wide format aftermarket can expand their product offering as well. GSC Imaging LLC (GSC) is an innovative developer and manufacturer of premium quality inkjet ink for Desktop Inkjet Printers and Wide Format Graphic Plotters. Please contact our Director of Bulk Ink Sales for further information. Chris Crear ccrear@gscimaging.com Ph: 856-745-2398
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OCP South Africa have launched Their Brand New Website! For the Finest Quality of Inks at the Best Possible Prices visit: www.ocpinks.co.za OCP South Africa: Inks, Equipment, Supplies and Training Tel: +27 31 766 1032 Fax: +27 31 766 1034 Email: info@ocp-sa.co.za Web: www.ocpinks.co.za May/Jun 2012 Page 14
Bio-Toners
Green Credentials!
EnNatura’s founders tell their story...
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s interest in environmental issues grows, more and more industries are responding to an increasing demand for ecofriendly products.
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o profitably leverage the green issue and differentiate themselves in the market, a variety of companies offer products featuring so-called bio-toner, which is made using plant oils rather than petroleum pumped out of the earth. A lot of oil goes into toner cartridges. The ubiquitous colorant carbon black, used to make black toner, for example, is manufactured almost exclusively from oil. Traditional resins, which can represent over 70 percent of a toner powder, also consist largely of petro-chemicals. Likewise, many of the additives that allow toner to flow through a cartridge, move to an imaging drum, and ultimately fuse to a substrate are to some degree derived from petroleum. According to the BioBlack website, 146 million gallons of oil are used in laser and copier toners each year. Then, of course, there is all the oil used to make plastic cartridge casings, other components, and packaging, not to mention the oil used to transport finished cartridges from the factory to the end users machine. Most bio-toners achieve their green credentials by using some oil derived from plants like rapeseed or soy in place of petroleum-based products in the toners resin. Considering just how ugly a carbon audit of a toner cartridge could be, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and third-party supplies vendors alike realise they face harsh criticism about the environmental impact of their oilrich products. Bio-toners offer a greener alternative. Instead of using traditional petroleum-based materials, bio-toners contain oils derived from plants like rapeseed or soy. While these toners are not all that new, we have been hearing a lot about them lately as a growing number of firms turn to bio-toners as a way to gain or strengthen their green credentials.
Consumables Magazine
Although the use of recycled paper has become commonplace, less attention has been paid to the inks used by the printing industry. This is starting to change, with the creation of a new generation of inks that are claimed to be kinder to the environment. One company at the forefront of these developments is EnNatura. This Delhi-based startup makes a biodegradable ink that the company claims also has other benefits, such as making the process of cleaning printing machinery both easier and more environmentally-friendly. Initially, however, co-founders Sidhartha Bhimania and Krishna Gopal Singh did not set out to create a manufacturing business. The two friends were students at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). “I never thought of being an entrepreneur,” says Mr Singh. “I had a plan of getting into the academics. ”For Mr Singh, the thrill of creating something “which makes an impact, rather than just publishing papers” proved too alluring. “It just pulled me away from the academics and I started this company with Sidhartha,” he says. “Sidhartha came back and he had this idea,” Mr Singh recalls. “I started helping him out on the technology front and slowly I just got interested in the whole thing.” Mr Bhimania says: “I came back because I wanted to develop a company out of India, in the area of materials. The drive was there more of an entrepreneurial drive.” It took them a while to find their feet. “We were just dabbling into a number of areas, looking from oil exploration to effluent treatment,” remembers Mr Bhimania. But he was also intrigued by work under way at IIT into developing new kinds of printing inks, and decided to settle on this as the basis for the new company. “Looking at the resources at hand, this was the most easiest we could tackle because we did not have enough money to begin with,” says the CEO of EnNatura. “I did not have a lot of lab space and market access, which is required for the other two opportunities. ”According
to Mr Bhimania, the conventional printing process makes use of a lot of petroleum-based chemicals and solvents. “These solvents are responsible for photochemical smog formation and ozone depletion as well as [being] hazardous to the printers, printers who are working in the industry,” he says. The duo’s biggest challenge was to create an ink that would not only be ecofriendly - but which would also have the vivid colours of conventional ink. “That is always an apprehension, even in the minds of the printers that… if they’re going for biodegradable or eco-friendly stuff, will it be of the same quality as the petroleum-based products,” says Mr Bhimania. Mr Singh says they solved this by developing their own resin. “The resin is the key thing in the ink,” he asserts. Other manufactures were “just picking up resin off the shelf and… making ink out of it” but “the available resin… were not good enough to give good printing properties”. Convincing companies to buy their ink, however, was tougher. “Initially, we were just paying them to use the ink,” he recalls. By the time the orders were coming in, the pair had run out of money to expand their operation. “Their demands were at least ten times what we would be able to supply,” says Sidhartha Bhimania. It was the classic chicken-and-egg situation: “We needed money to scale up the manufacturing but] we had no money, because the sales were not there.” Eventually they decided to bypass the problem of selling directly to the printers. Instead, they targeted publishers such as NGOs who were interested in environmental issues. The backing of sympathetic customers helped the company to make progress, and now the two entrepreneurs say they have “hit that right model” where they can make a healthy profit. In business, it’s essential you “don’t do it for money”, says Sidhartha Bhimania. “Just do it for the right reasons,” he advises. “That you want to build a company, want to build the technology to impact people’s lives - because that’s going to see you through.” May/Jun 2012 Page 15
Street Wise
THE CULTURE OF
NONPAYMENT BIG FISH VS little fish! is it really fair odds? Article by Mandy Barrett
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he scenario is all too common. A dedicated and brilliant entrepreneur starts out with a new venture! Excitement reigns and the balls starts to roll. Government and large corporations are bustling to buy into the new product. It’s all a promise of wealth and success. You wish the fresh business man the very best of luck, with a small hint of envy. A year later you bump into the same person, down and out, and drowning his sorrows with a (cheap) bottle of gin. “Why?” you ask, with a dose of genuine concern. “Lack of payment”, he replies, and continues to sip his drink with a defeated demeanour. Often associated with school fees, electricity bills and TV licences, the culture of non-payment is fast becoming a large concern for small businesses. Within the small business sector, there is often no “slush fund”, and loaning from financial institution is often dependant on assets owned – something the smaller guys don’t have. Also lacking is long term credibility that some of the larger companies have established, even thought the smaller Consumables Magazine
business may have been established for some time.South African legislation can make it hard for the average entrepreneur to succeed. Strict labour laws make it almost impossible to lay off staff, and govern pay rates, as well as memberships to pension funds and medical aids. This leaves the smaller business with huge salary bills, and staffing issues. Add to this the costs of starting up even the smallest business, from computer costs to advertising. Often, the cost of start up is an out of pocket expense for the business owner, leaving him financially unstable at the best of times.
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overnments’ affirmative action initiative has moved from the sublime to more than ridiculous, and no amount of explaining that a one man show cannot possibly be split up into several people of differing race and sex, according to their ideals, seems to help. In order to compete on a business level, the smaller business has to apply for a BEE qualification – often simply not feasible. The smaller business may be able to offer services at a lower rate than larger companies,
thereby attracting business, but then may be unable to wait 120 days for payment. Large corporations operate on a standard 90 to 120 day payment plan, and while the small man survives on dry bread and water, paying his moaning staff, the corporation has use of his products. Adding to all these obstacles, the public often try to get away without paying as well, knowing full well that the business won’t be able to afford legal fees and debt collection costs. Settling bad debts off against a non-existent taxable income is simply no consolation. Things are no different in the United Kingdom. A recent survey amongst 500 odd small business revealed that 41% were forced to make late payments to their suppliers, due to late payment from their customers, 29% experienced an increase in bank fees for becoming overdrawn on their accounts, 23% experienced a delay in growth and the delay in introducing new services or products and 16% were put out of business entirely, due to lack of payment. The British Government has responded by suggesting new legislation, encouraging banks to assist, and also seeking answers from big business. It May/Jun 2012 Page 16
appears to be rather a useless ideal however, until the Companies Act is enforced across the board. One solution is to attract interest on late payment, but the negative side to this is that the smaller business still has to pester the larger corporation for payment.
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May 2011, smaller business may find some relief. The idea of the new act is to preserve jobs and the economy by offering small business a “recovery option”, whereby the company is managed by an independent practioner and managed for a three month period in order to survive. This is only offered to “viable businesses” and once again, the practicality of such an act remains to be seen. And one has to wonder whether the average small businessman is aware of such legislation and the process required to obtain assistance. In addition to this, it is somehow very unbalanced and somehow unfair to expect a small business to enter “recovery” mode due to lack of payment from a larger corporation.
n South Africa, however, some of the worst transgressors are government institutions. Claims that documents are outstanding seems to be the number one reason for avoiding payment. Some companies have experienced this, resulting repeat invoicing. Each time a call to enquire about payment is made, another delay is put into play – and this all costs. There comes a time, in every business, where the cost of recovery of the debt outweighs the initial amount.
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If the business is able to apply for a legal procedure to be put into place, another obstacle is met – The Legal System. Our current system of archiving and implementation of the law does not seem to be geared to assist the small business. Legal documents are lost and cases drag on for years – something a small business can ill afford. With the introduction of Chapter 6 of the Companies Act 71 of 2008, on 1
And this in the long term, affects more than just the small business sector. Many entrepreneurs have become such only due to unemployment. When the potential for earning an income is further handicapped, what recourse does the average man have? With
hysical debt collection, using large men with scary names and even scarier tattoos is also an area not many are willing to step into. Debt collection is an industry all on its own, from the back street beat up boys to the “legitimate” legal companies offering to buy your bad debts.
less business, and less income, they too will contribute less to society as a whole. Let’s look back to our broken bar-fly business man from earlier on – how will he pay school fees, or buy groceries?
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ersonal experience has taught me that when one is self employed, on cannot get credit easily. Even if credit is granted, it needs to be paid back, with high interest. Banks not only charge interest, but charges on charges and even more charges for non payment of those very charges! So CAN a small business protect itself from the risk of non payment? The fees for bad debt insurance, available from companies like Credit Guarantee, Lombaards and Coface, may exceed affordability or only be offered to companies with higher than R1 million turnover annually. It seems, that in order to survive as a small business, one must ensure that deposits are paid, sufficient to cover all costs, and that strict payment terms are discussed, agreed to and signed for before and on delivery of the goods and services. A difficult choice for the small business, as such strict negotiations may result in business being lost. A mental quantum leap is required to consider that the risk of non-payment outweighs possible rejection of business in the first place.
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Greening Offices
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any years ago, I worked for a large corporate in the centre of Johannesburg. The offices were situated near the Johannesburg stock exchange and reached as high into the sky as any self respecting building in those days did. I worked on the tenth floor. We had huge windows overlooking our city. Windows which didn’t open - we used air-conditioners for air. Everyone thought it was pretty normal. While doing some research for this article, my mind was drawn back to that time of my life, with the curious musing as to whether that company has “gone green” since then. Throwing open the windows in your office to exchange “normal” air for the air-conditioned variety may seem strange, but we are, after all, genetically engineered to breathe good ol’ earthy stuff, albeit with a bit of pollution added! South Africa may lag behind on office greening solutions, but big corporations are insisting on greener practice, greener products and even green buildings. Construction and development are tuning into radio “Save the Planet”. Vodacom recently earned a six star green rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa, for their new “Innovation Centre” in Midrand, Gauteng. This is the highest rating a company can achieve. Vodacom’s rating was won for encompassing the required standards for a Green Building. According to the Council, a green building is “a building which is energy efficient, resource efficient and environmentally responsible- which incorporates design, construction and operational practices that significantly reduce or eliminate its negative impact on the environment and its occupants.
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uilding green is an opportunity to use resources efficiently and address climate change while creating healthier and more productive environments for people to
Consumables Magazine
Article by Mandy Barrett
live and work in.” The Council’s website, www.gbcsa. org.za, details the actual requirements as including: “the use of design, materials and technology to reduce energy and resource consumption and create improved human and natural environments. Specific green building measures include careful building design to reduce heat loads, maximise natural light and promote the circulation of fresh air; the use of energy-efficient air-conditioning and lighting; the use of environmentally friendly, non-toxic materials; the reduction of waste, and the use of recycled materials; water-efficient plumbing fittings and water harvesting; the use of renewable energy sources; and sensitivity with regard to the impact of the development on the environment.”
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he South African system is based on the Australian system for companies, and the innovative website offers a purchasable guide for greening existing buildings. A building development can receive either a 4-star rating signalling that it has employed “best practice”; a 5-star rating which recognises “South African Excellence”, or the coveted 6-star rating indicating that the project is a world leader. All new buildings in South Africa will now be encouraged to follow the South African Bureau of Standards’ SANS 10400 XA standards, which are enforceable in terms of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, but will be encouraged at this time, and not necessarily enforced. South Africa’s green building status is growing at a massive rate, which is a credit to our country, as well as creating a much needed employment creation spin off. If you are not in the market for a massive new construction project, perhaps a “re-greening” of your current office will lead you closer to achieving a coveted star or two. This could
range from serious greening efforts to light hearted and entertaining ideas. Striving for global equality and a healthier working environment should be on the list of “to do’s” of every business, from the small and mobile one-man shows to the larger corporations. Some companies are experiencing a lack of enthusiasm from some employees regarding greening and others may find an over zealous employee, carefully crafting out measurements of internet usage and print mediums against carbon fuel input.
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ome companies find it amusing to add humour to the “Do not Print this Email unless you have to” taglines – how can you make yours memorable and save a tree? Perhaps considering small and yet far reaching ideas will make a massive difference. Some fun ideas to consider are: • Creating staff “fines” for leaving lights or PC’s on unnecessarily, with the monies being used for charitable donations • Encouraging staff to save on water usage by using only one coffee mug all day instead of creating piles of washing up • Running home-cooked lunch competitions where staff bring and share food • Using recycled paper, printing equipment and office furniture • Installing recycling containers at the office for employees to use daily • Changing bathroom air-fresheners to environmentally friendly versions using natural scents and oils • Running staff competitions around new greening options for your company And lastly, how about opening those windows, switching off the aircon’, having outdoor meetings in the garden and creating a bird and insect friendly staff “chill” area?
May/Jun 2012 Page 20
Breaking News
Tesla Launches Most
Expensive Electric Car to Date!
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lectric car manufacturer, Tesla plans to release the most expensive version of its Model S electric car starting June 22, 2012, which is about a month ahead of the originally scheduled launch. Tesla, which is based in Palo Alto California, says that it has over 10,000 orders for the Model S, although the company will not be able to deliver every order by the end of 2012. The price range for the Model S is between $47,900 and $97,900 depending on the options and mileage range and after a $7,500 federal tax credit. The Model S will allow drivers to personalise many aspects of the driving experience. For instance, drivers will be able to personalise both brake and steering feel. Many electric car drivers have complained that regenerative braking systems, which feeds braking energy back to the car’s battery to preserve its charge, has a feel similar to a sudden downshift in a manual transmission. In addition to setting brake and steering preferences, drivers will be able to set suspension and ride height to their liking. For example, a lower ride height will work well for less drag and a firmer feel on a smooth road, while a higher ride works better for bumpy roads or for parking lots with speed bumps. Drivers of the Model S will also enjoy the speed. The car accelerates from zero to 60 in under 6 seconds. The sedan will seat Consumables Magazine
five adults and can even fit in two extra children’s seats in some configurations. This electric car boasts around 240 miles per charge. Tesla’s advanced electric powertrain delivers exhilarating performance. Unlike the internal combustion engine with hundreds of moving pieces that spark, pump, belch, and groan, the Tesla motor has only one moving piece: the rotor. As a result, Model S acceleration is instantaneous, like flipping a switch. Hit the accelerator. In 5.6 seconds, Model S is traveling 60 miles per hour, without hesitation and without a drop of gasoline. The Model S also boasts some impressive safety features including Eight airbags: head, knee and pelvis airbags in the front plus two side curtain airbags. Model S sets the bar for electric driving range. Model S is offered with three battery options, each delivering unprecedented range. All three batteries are contained within the same enclosure, integrating with the vehicle in the same way, providing structural, aerodynamic, and handling advantages. All three batteries use automotive-grade lithium-ion cells arranged for optimum energy density,
thermal management, and safety. Model S comes standard with everything you need to plug into the most common 240volt outlet, standard 120-volt wall outlets and public stations. With a High Power Wall Connector and Twin Chargers, Model S can be recharged at the rate of 62 miles range per hour. A fifty-percent charge in thirty minutes can be achieved with a Tesla Supercharger. Ask Tesla owners how long it takes to charge and they’ll say just a few moments. Like they do with a cell phone, most Tesla owners plug in at night. By morning, their battery is completely recharged. The touchscreen can be used to create a customized charging schedule that enables you to charge when electricity rates are lower during off-peak hours. May/Jun 2012 Page 21
To p i c a l N e w s
Instant Cash for Your Old Cell Phone! by Jeff Holbrook
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adgets like mobile phones and tablets have a quick turnover rate. By that, you can expect a newer version of that cellphone you just bought after a couple of months or so. So if you’re the type who’s always buying new phones and updating your devices, then it’s time you head to the ecoATM and start recycling your old gadgets. It’s not sexy tech by any means, but the ecoATM might help you on your way to replacing the unloved, outdated mobile electronic device into cash for the latest sexy tech you’ve got your eyes on.
you’re recycling by comparing it to its database that’s been inputted with over 4,000 different gadgets. It will then ask you to plug your device in so it can check if it still works or not. When it’s done with its analysis, it then displays a quote for your gadget, which you can either accept or reject. If you accept its offer, the ecoATM then dispenses cash in return for your device.
ecoATM looks similar to regular ATM machines and performs a similar goal! “Giving you Cash”. In a nutshell ,ecoATM is a self-service, automated station that analysis the value of a consumer’s cell phone or electronic device - offering the consumer a market value price based on current secondary market data. If accepted, the consumer walks away with cold, hard cash. ecoATM enable you to not only help Mother Nature by recycling old stuff that you might no longer need or use, but you’ll also get some quick cash in return.
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The ecoATM is an automated gadget recycler with a touchscreen and a metal tray below where you’re supposed to put your smartphone, MP3 player, or other device to be recycled. The ecoATM then uses its camera to determine what kind of device
Consumables Magazine
The best part is the fact that it is all automated, with no assistance required. You just bring your phones in, and leave with cash, just like drawing money from a regular ATM! hen you first bring your phone to an ecoATM, you pick which device it is, and then receive a small ID sticker to place on the back of your device. The machine will then scan your phone, and after comparing your device with images and specs of a “perfect” model it was trained on, it will determine the condition of your device. Then a charging wheel will spin until your charger appears, and after plugging it in, it will determine if the device is still functional or not. After all of this is completed, the ecoATM will give you a price for how much your device is worth, and spit the cash out in the given dispenser. You can do this with multiple phones at a time as well and MP3 players and cell phones in the same transaction. Most of the phones are given a new home if in good enough condition, and if not
ecoATM will recycle the phones so you can feel good about getting rid of your old phones, and have some extra cash in your pocket while you’re at it. You’d probably get more dollars selling your device via eBay or Craigslist, but the convenience of the ecoATM kiosk could be more appealing to those a painless trade-in/trade-up without the hassle of having to mail out the device. Electronic devices, once approved after a 3-step inspection process, can be then converted into a trade-up coupon, gift card, cash, or if you’re feeling charitable, into a contribution of your choice. ecoATM locations currently skew heavily westward in America, mostly in Southern California: San Diego (their homebase), San Francisco, but also up in Seattle, alongside Omaha and Kansas City. Company founder Bill Bowles expects to expand out to 500 EcoATM machines by the end of 2012, and go International! So you might be seeing one of these kiosks at a mall near you. ecoATM claims to offer highly competitive return rates, but its biggest value proposition may be the immediate gratification. From a consumer perspective, there’s very little reason not to use ecoATM over trying to hawk an old gadget online. The startup promises to wipe your device and spits out cash or store credit, no human contact required.
May/Jun 2012 Page 22
The system isn’t perfect. ecoATM eats the cost on the returned devices it can’t resell, and the process can take a few a minutes but it is working. In one year of testing, ecoATM has recycled more than 50,000 devices, according to Mr Bowles. Bowles and team are silent on what that translates to in financial terms, nor are they willing to share how much it costs to produce each kiosk or the exact margin they make on recycled devices. Right now, the startup is using its more than $14 million in funding to aggressively expand into more areas.
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r Bowles says “For a company that was founded by three wireless industry veterans in 2008, ecoATM moved forward with some pretty impressive results. If there was a yearbook for San Diego startups, you could say we were voted most likely to succeed! Out of more than 100 local start-ups that entered the San Diego Venture Group’s 2009 PitchFest, ecoATM was voted winner—which included a $20,000 award—during the group’s annual dinner in December 2009. EcoATM also won the $10,000 award that Bellevue, WA-based Coinstar offered at its KioskCom Self-Service Expo in New York for the best new concept in retail-based kiosks. We won Connect’s 2009 “Most Innovative Product” award in the cleantech category. We won the “Best Content Pitch” in the TechCoast Angel’s QuickPitch competition and second place in Qualcomm’s Q-Prize competition. Our startup was among
the first handful of companies selected for EvoNexus, the technology startup incubator formed last year by the local telecom industry group CommNexus. Our company was featured on ABC News, and in Inc. and Fast Company magazines. Today we even have some news to announce: At a time when the capital markets have nearly dried up, San Diego’s Tao Venture Partners is leading our first round of venture funding. Our investors include Jens Molbak, Coinstar’s founding CEO.
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e started ecoATM with the idea of rewarding consumers who recycle their “retired” mobile phones by providing an automated kiosk that makes it easy for them to get a “trade up” discount coupon, gift card, or to make a charitable donation to certain organizations. Our momentum has snowballed very quickly, when we conducted a field trial of our first prototype kiosk in Omaha,
NE. Our kiosk immediately created a sensation with consumers and the press. Consumers were so eager to use our machine that they waited up to 45 minutes to get their turn. We were completely surprised by the response, and felt like we had definitely turned the corner. It would have been hard to imagine such enthusiasm when it all started in late 2008”.
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Environmental News
To
Recycle Or Not To
Recycle
That Is The Question! By Gary W. Reilly Vice President Clean Globe Energy Corporation
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s our World rapidly advances its recycling efforts and our country slowly advances, much sensitivity and acuity is lost between the producer, user and recycler and it is this loss that negatively affects the gap between South Africa and the rest of the World. Where other nations are selling used balers and grinders plus even selling A-grade pellets on the open market, South Africa sits with long lead times for balers and a net import of A-grade pellets, particularly on PE, PP & ABS. Reduce is not a consideration on any one’s mind in my World and certainly not on a large enough scale to make a considerable impact, Reuse is slowly becoming more natural in our thinking, at both producer and household level AND Recycle is still a word that sounds good but doesn’t mean much, especially at Government level. If we were all honest with ourselves, this is a shocking state of affairs and something that is in fact within each of our control to change. Finding regular sources for collection of collected plastics is problematic and tiresome at times. With the increase in commodity prices across the board, the negative effects on our industry are accentuated and the embedded costs to recycle outweigh straight forward virgin polymer purchase or importation. The cost to wash, dry and pelletize has become too prohibitive for major producers to consider as an economically viable option anymore and this leaves a lot more excess
Consumables Magazine
“unused” plastics ending up on our dumps, which were originally labelled for recycling. From a Reuse perspective, our industry is becoming more acute in its thinking and far more appreciative of the lifecycle opportunities and their related rewards, but it’s the continuous introduction of foreign imports that wreaks havoc with the commercial chain, especially in the areas of recovery rates or volume. Importation taxation is certainly a consideration but this would need to be coupled with an internal rate of recovery to match current internal demand. In other words, increase availability of the use of local material and make rewards for use more attractive. There are businesses that have had to look abroad to secure sufficient volumes, to justify their own business return on investments (ROIs) in the volatile and squeezedmargin environment in which we find ourselves at present. With purchase price, transport costs and “customs & excise” costs put together, they can still bring in perfect material for the
same price as they could spend locally but with much less hassle. How many more like these are out there? And it all comes down to the primary numbers: tonnage and price. Lack of consistent supply, separation of individual materials and logistical issues are the most pressing issues affecting any shift to local and this is where we can all assist in shifting this paradigm. In conclusion, the conversion of postconsumer waste plastics in South Africa should be a flourishing sector with known off-take markets but if we continue along our current path, we are going to all have to bow to China and India eventually and that is not what any of us want, so WE need to do all we can to extract, collect and sell the volumes we can and communicate our efforts through dedicated channels and ensure our recovery rates compete with the rest of the World. Gary W. Reilly 071 864 5032 073 963 9443
May/Jun 2012 Page 25
industry Person
ality
Bev Kirby Ink-m
“MORE GREED THAN GREEN” Today I talk to Bev Kirby from Inkmate Hillcrest. Spades and shovels come to mind. Me: Does that get up your nose? Bev: “No, frankly it “browns” me off!” You get the picture. And what would it be that has this effect on our Bev? “More Greed than Green, is what I call it!” But wait, let’s start at the beginning. Former teacher and (most lately) nicnac shop owner, Bev is no stranger to conflict of interest. “When I sold my previous business, I told my husband that if I ever when into business again, it would no longer supply goods that people “wanted but did not need”. I would rather bring the want and the need together. Hence I left the very satisfying and profitable world of Legacy’s, where we retailed most of the best crystal, collectibles, dinnerware and cutlery, Lladro and Swarovski, and were known as the best destination for the gift for “someone who has everything”. We adopted a saner approach.” What do you mean by that? “You can’t be a biology teacher and not be faced with the effect human intervention has on the environment. On field trips we used to take learners down to the beach
Consumables Magazine
to look for sea life, like anemones, and it was painfully obvious to everybody that you would find them where human intervention was least obvious.” So is the reason you got into the business of refilling cartridges as an effort to be greener? “I’m not a ‘greeny’, if that’s what you mean. It’s just that the issue of sustainability is inescapable and misunderstood. I don’t do anything for show. It irritates me when people do that. With me, what you see is what you get.” I see you were already teaching in 1969. How did that approach influence your career? It couldn’t have been something that could have won a woman in that and day and age, especially in teaching, many fans... “Strangely enough, I got ahead very quickly. I suppose it has to be because I didn’t waste time worrying about what people thought.” Do you find a lot of that in your industry? “You could say that.”
Um, what do you mean? “In our industry there’s a lot of lip service paid to saving the planet, but then people do exactly the opposite. Apparently, in the good old days most laser cartridges were recycled. NOW the industry recycles only the profitable ones. Compatibles have taken over, as they are cheaper. So what happens to those cartridges that are not recycled? The other day I took seven boxes of laser cartridges and one printer to the IT recycling depot at The Pavilion. When I asked the workers there who came to pick up the waste, I got a very strong feeling that the waste would end up as landfill. I would love to be proved wrong.” Does that get up your nose? (And this is where we get to the spades and shovels...) “No, frankly it browns me off! More Greed than Green, is what I call it.” How do you deal with that? Do you have a plan? “As a refiller, I don’t have many options. I don’t remanufacture. Only selected cartridges are remanned, and if we them to take toner cartridges they don’t want, we have to pay them. All the talk about saving on crude oil, carbon footprint and so on seems to have gone by the wayside. Compatibles are rarely remanufactured, and the only toner cartridges that are remanned are virgin [just used once] cartridges. I find that name laughable, if not ironic!”
May/Jun 2012 Page 26
By Duncan Bouwer
www.inkmate.co.za
On to happier topics. Do you have a vision for your business? I don’t want to own a whole chain of these shops. I just want to be the best at what we do. I want to offer customers a choice in what they can buy and if they want their cartridges refilled, I want to be able to do just that for them. I want the retailers of original cartridges to explain to my customers why their products cost more than ours. You’d expect that with the amount of volume they do, they could bring their prices down. Let’s face it, I don’t run a social welfare organisation here, so we have to make a profit, but when a customer comes to you and says that your price is less expensive than X, Y or Z, there’s something wrong!” How do you see yourself contributing? You’re not an activist. You’re not a take-over-the-world business mogul. “I just want to educate people. Word gets around. We have inhouse flyers telling people how to maintain and get the most out of their printers. We are NOT heading for a paperless society at all. People are doing more printing than ever and when you see what records you have to keep to just stay legal, it won’t happen soon. It’s still the easiest way to keep a reliable backup and that won’t change. With the hype around how bad it is for your printer if you use refilled cartridges, and that your printer will explode if you do, there’s still a lot of work to do.” What’s your guiding principle? How do you meet the world? “You’re only as good as your last job. Make it a good one!” Sounds like good advice to me.
For Franchise enquiries: Tel: 016 931 2125 or Email: info@inkmate.co.za
Laser cartridges Ink-jet cartridges Compatibles Originals Refill service
mate
Te c h n i c a l Remanufacturing the Lexmark X560 toner Cartridges By Mike Josiah and the Technical Staff at Uninet Imaging
T
he Lexmark X560 Engine is a multi function 31 ppm Black and 20 ppm color engine that runs at 600 dpi (2400dpi image quality). The first page out is stated to be under 11 seconds and the printer runs off a 400 MHz processor. The memory comes standard at 384MB and is expandable to 1.4GB. These machines can print, scan, fax, copy and duplex. The chips on these cartridges need to be replaced each cycle. There are LY(Starter)cartridges and HY cartridges available. A LY cartridge cannot be made into a HY version as there are a set of gears in HY cartridges not present in Ly cartridge. HY cartridges use a second toner hopper based in the drum half of the cartridge. This hopper is present in the LY versions, but the necessary gears to move the toner are not. These cartridges have a chip that must be replaced each cycle. In addition, they also have gears on the supply hopper(s) that must be set correctly for the cartridge to work. The printers ship with a set of starter cartridges.
Consumables Magazine
Both the colors and the black are all rated for 4,000 pages. Current Machines based on the X560 engine are: Lexmark X560n Lexmark X560dn The cartridges used in machines are as follows:
these
These cartridges use both toner and developer in the cartridges. This system is a little different so we are including the cartridge/printer theory here. Figure 1 shows the basic layout of the cartridges as they relate to the printer and also list the steps used in the printing process.
0X560A2KG Black LY Cartridge (4000 pages) 0X560A2CG Cyan LY Cartridge (4000 pages) 0X560A2MG Magenta LY Cartridge (4000 pages) 0X560A2YG Yellow LY Cartridge (4000 pages) 0X560H2CG Cyan HY Cartridge (10,000 pages) $412.65 List 0X560H2MG Magenta HY Cartridge (10,000 pages)$412.65 List 0X560H2YG Yellow HY Cartridge (10,000 pages) $412.65 List 0X560H2KG Black HY Cartridge (10,000 pages) $278.25 List As you can see, these are extremely profitable cartridges to do.
Figure 1
May/Jun 2012 Page 28
Te c h n i c a l
In the first stage, the Primary Charge Roller places a uniform negative DC voltage on the OPC drum surface. The amount of the negative DC voltage placed on the drum is controlled by the printer’s intensity setting. The PCR cleaning roller removes any toner or paper dust from the PCR. See Fig.2 In the second stage, each color’s laser beam is fired onto a set of fixed mirrors and then to the rotating mirror (called the scanner). As the mirror rotates, the beams are reflected into a set of focusing lenses. The beams then strike the drums surface, reducing the negative charge and leaving a latent electrostatic image on the drum. The areas where the lasers did not strike the drum will retain the higher negative charge. See Figures 3 & 4 The third or developing stage is where the toner is developed on the drum by the developing section (or supply chamber), which contains the toner and developer particles. The toner is moved from the hoppers by a series of agitators into the developer section where the augers and magnetic roller are located. The toner is brought out to the drum by the magnetic roller. The toner is also held onto and attracted to the magnetic roller by a negative DC bias voltage. This voltage is controlled by the printer’s intensity setting and causes either more or less toner to be attracted by the developer roller. This in turn will either increase or decrease the print density. The amount of toner on the magnetic roller is controlled by the doctor blade, which uses pressure to keep the amount of toner on the roller constant. See Figure 5 As the laser exposed areas of the OPC Drum approach the developer roller, the toner particles are attracted to the drum’s surface due to the opposite voltage potentials of the toner, and laser exposed areas of the OPC drum. See Figure 6 The fourth stage is the transfer stage. This is where there are some large differences from monochrome printers and also from other color lasers. In the Primary transfer stage the transfer rollers which are located directly opposite each OPC drum, places a positive DC bias charge on the back of the Transfer Belt. Each toner cartridge has a separate transfer charge roller. As the paper moves through the machine, the image is transferred from the drum directly to the paper. This process is repeated for each
Consumables Magazine
Figure 2
Figure 4 Figure 3
Figure 5
Figure 7
Figure 6
color cartridge in the following order: Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, and Black. See Figure 7 The paper separates from the transfer belt as the belt turns back down to start the process again. The static charge on the back of the paper is decreased with static charge eliminator.
May/Jun 2012 Page 29
Te c h n i c a l
This helps stabilize the paper feed, and also prevents toner flares (spots) under low temperature and low humidity conditions. See Figure 8
Figure 9
In the fifth stage, the image is then fused onto the paper by the fuser assembly. The fuser Assembly is comprised of the upper heating assembly and lower pressure roller. The lower pressure roller presses the page up into the upper heating assembly which then melts the toner into the paper. This heating assembly is based on older technology. It uses a heat lamp and a pressure roller assembly and not the ceramic heaters that many machines now use. See Figure 9.
Figure 10 Figure 8
OPC Drum Cleaning: The drum is cleaned after the image is transferred to the paper by the wiper blade. This part is fairly standard; the wiper blade scrapes the toner off the drum, and the recovery blade guides it into the waste chamber. These machines also have an erase lamp to remove any residual charges from the drum and allow the wiper blade to clean better. See Figure 10 Cartridge troubleshooting will be covered at the end of this article.
Required Tools
Required Supplies
1) Phillips head screwdriver
Dedicated Lexmark X560 color toner (HY or LY)
2) Small common screw driver
Dedicated Lexmark X560 color developer (HY or LY)
3) Jewelers screwdriver set 4) Spring Hook
Replacement chip (HY or LY)
5) Vacuum approved for toner
Dedicated OPC drum Drum cover Toner seal Fill hole seal
1
Remove the two springs from either side to the cartridge. The contact side is easier to remove if the cartridge is upside down.
Te c h n i c a l
Remove the screw from the black end cap on the contact side.
2 Remove the screw from the white end cap.
3 4
5
6
Remove the white end cap by prying up on the tab as shown.
Remove the black and cap by prying up the tab to release it, press down on the lower contact plate and pry up around the bottom edges. The end cap will come free. It’s important to press the lower contact plate down so it does not become damaged. Two white gears will come off with the end cap. It is best to store them on their respective shafts as shown.
Remove the Single gear with the black axle as shown. Do not remove the 3 remaining gears as they are attached inside the hopper.
Separate the two halves.
7 8
On the toner hopper, remove the magnetic roller clip by lifting up the 2 small tabs from the plastic shaft. Turn the contact towards the flat side of the mag. roller shaft and remove.
Te c h n i c a l
Remove the large Mag. roller drive gear.
9 Remove the front auger drive gear so the bearing can be removed.
10 11
12
Remove the round bearings from both sides of the mag. roller.
Remove the Mag. Roller support bearings from both sides.
Lift the mag. Roller out by lifting it up from the short shaft side.
13 14
Remove the Toner hopper sealing strip, and the developer chamber sealing strip. New seals are now available so there is no need to re-use them.
Clean out all remaining toner and developer.
15 Install the mag. Roller long shaft side first.
16
Te c h n i c a l
17
Install the support bearings on both sides of the cartridge. Make sure the tab on the bushing is set in its slot as shown.
Install the round bearings on both sides of the Mag. Roller.
18
19 20
21
22 23
24
Install the front auger gear. Make sure it is installed correctly. It must mesh properly with the auger or print voids will occur.
Install the mag. Roller contact. Set the fingers so they are contacting the flat side of the shaft and turn the whole assembly until it fits in place.
Place a piece of paper across the developer chamber opening so it blocks the mag. Roller. Fill the chamber with the dedicated developer. Remove the paper. The paper makes it simpler to fill the chamber by blocking off the mag. Roller.
Clean the edge of the developer chamber opening with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. Install the new seal.
For low yield cartridges, fill the toner chamber now. Clean the edge of the chamber with alcohol and install the new seal. HY cartridges have two chambers so it is easier for them to be filled later. Both chambers should be filled at the same time in order to get the correct amount in each. (They will be filled at the end of these instructions in step 46)
NOTE: Do NOT mix the developer with the toner. They must be separate inside the cartridge for the system to work correctly. Place the toner chamber aside. On the drum chamber, remove the “E� ring from the contact or hub side of the drum.
Te c h n i c a l
25
Pull the axle out from the gear side of the drum so that the inner drum ground contacts are not damaged.
Remove the drum.
26 Remove the PCR and clean with a lint free cloth.
27
28
29
30
31
32
Remove the PCR cleaning roller, vacuum or blow any toner from the roller.
Remove the two PCR/PCR Cleaning roller holders, carefully pry them up from the sides. Clean them with a cotton swab and alcohol.
HY cartridges have a seal and set of gears for the additional augers. Remove the seal and clean out any remaining toner.
Remove the 2 screws and the wiper blade. Clean out any toner from the waste chamber.
Coat the wiper blade with your preferred lubricant and install. Install the two screws.
Te c h n i c a l
33
Clean the PCR holders and PCR cleaning roller holders with a cotton swab and alcohol.
Install the cleaned PCR/PCR Cleaning roller holders.
34 Install the cleaned PCR cleaning roller.
35
36 37 38
Install the cleaned PCR. Place a small amount of new conductive grease on the black holder side.
Install the drum. Install the drum axle from the hub side.
Install the E ring.
39
40
On the toner hopper, install the white auger gear as shown. At this point the remaining gears must also be set properly. If the cartridge is a HY the top 2 gears must point to the arrows on the cartridge as shown. For all cartridges on the lower half, the gears must be pointing to the arrow and gear as shown
41
Install the developer roller drive gear.
42
Place the two halves together.
Te c h n i c a l
43
With the two gears placed on the black end cap. Install the end cap. Make sure the tab locks in place. Install the screw.
44
Install the white end cap and screw.
45
Install the springs on both sides of the cartridge.
46
If you have a HY cartridge, fill the upper (Drum Unit) and lower (Toner) hoppers now. We have found it best to fill the upper hopper with Âź of the bottle and the rest in the lower hopper.
47
Remove the old chip by prying out and lifting up on the black plastic holder. Remove the old chip from the holder and slide the new chip into the rails. Make sure it snaps into place.
48
Install the chip holder assembly onto the hopper.
49
Install the drum cover.
Repetitive Defect chart OPC drum PCR PCR cleaning roller Black & color Mag. roller sleeve 1st primary transfer roller Drive roller transfer unit Upper fuser roller Fuser drive belt Pinch roller fuser assy. Exit roller fuser assy. Exit pinch roller fuser assy.
75.4mm 28.3mm 25.1mm 27.9mm 31.4mm 56.9mm 82.7mm 94.2mm 18.8mm 43.1mm 31.4mm
Back Chat
I
by Matt Campaign-Scott
S
o I asked my 85 year old dad: “what do you think of when I say ‘Green’ dad”. There was a brief crackle on the phone and then came: “mould.” The generation gap on matters Green is clear. I have to admit that as a 43 year I too didn’t think of the practice of making modern day sacrifices in order to conserve the rapidly depleting fossil fuels, when the word Green came up. Rather I would think of someone new on the job, who parks in the bosses bay on the first day, a ‘Green-horn’ if you will, it’s best not to mix those two words up. Or perhaps “Green Fingers”. I used to have “Green Fingers” when I was more involved in our garden or is that having a Green Thumb? It means the difference between getting anything to grow and creating a micro-desert. But the search for a Green definition remains elusive: The movement to green has been nearly a thirty year process beginning in the 1970’s with the solar-energy craze. Early in the 1990’s for example, the green building movement began to take hold. Expanding our thinking and consideration for the larger picture of the total environmental impact, thus driving demands for materials, commercial and home designs offering reduced long term costs, healthier living, greater efficiency and sustainability. But for me Green is for gunge: Gangrene from war stories, brave soldier who fought in the trenches and got the Dreaded Lurgy. Then there’s
Asked my
85
the sludge down on Zoo Lake before the big clean-up of whenever-it-was. Then there’s beautiful, wonderful mucous. Oh yes, oh quivering parent – there were those nappies that….never mind. Green gunge is every little boys early fascination until puberty hits then green becomes just another colour.
O
ne mini Green definition I heard somewhere, went something like is this: “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” A little whimsical with a touch of daisy and shoo-wah, but pleasantly unimposing. I rather like it. Depending on where you are applying the term Green, ‘sustainable design’ may be a good substitute. True sustainability embraces a commitment to see the world as interconnected, to understand the impact our actions have on others and our environment, and to nurture the offspring of all species that will inherit the planet. To become truly sustainable, it is vital to equally address social sustainability, economic sustainability, and environmental sustainability like three legs holding up a stool. Okay, a little preachy. The truth is, the Green movement is now orthodoxy, mainstream, convention if you like. It’s no longer the fringe realm of hippies and New Ages or people with pony-tails in general. For example, Green construction is huge in South Africa now and Green Stars are a coveted reward. It reminds me of my children when they were of the age when a gold star on the forehead
year old
dad!
for good behaviour was the most coveted award in preschool. Now we have pinstriped executives scurrying around fulfilling the requirements of the Green Buildings Council so as to acquire more Green Stars for their buildings.
As if Green building isn’t enough we have green nappies, green fuels and green political parties. But a new interesting one I discovered is “greenhypocrisy”. Green campaigners argue that cheap short-haul flights have fuelled a massive hike in carbon emissions over the past few years. Celebrities in particular are criticised for struggling to reconcile their wellmeaning efforts to develop green credentials and the demands of the modern world.
S
ienna Miller and Chris Martin preach the importance of being ‘green’. They recycle obsessively, insist on green nappies and compost every scrap of organic vegetable peeling and they’re not slow to tell you about it. Yet they jet set the world over producing a carbon footprint bigger than the rest of us. It’s tough at the top. Looks like you can’t get away with anything these days. Did I say Carbon Footprint, let me tell you what my 85 year old dad said when I asked him what he thought of when I said Carbon Footprint….