There is no doubt about it, we all love saving money; especially in the current economic climate. Purchasing imitation cartridges for your printer can at first seem like the perfect idea to lower annual costs on your supplies, however there are some hidden risks in doing so…
What harm can be caused from buying cheap imitation toner?
The short answer is: a lot of harm. On the surface the idea of purchasing these products may seem like you’re saving time and money for your business but in reality it can impact your business in a variety of ways:
- Cost your business more money- 25% higher costs due to reprints, failures and services.¹
- Lower quality of print- 19% fewer usable print outs due to poor quality printing.²
- Reduces the indoor air quality in the office.³
- Can cause permanent damage to your printer.⁴
- Can result in 4 x more service calls.⁵
Unfortunately, it’s not just your business that can directly suffer from using these products, as they have also been found to have a negative impact on the environment ⁶. Not only can they make you use more paper due to poor quality prints but will also use more energy and increase your fossil fuel consumption.
The vast majority of these products will end up in landfill as the imitation toner producers don’t have organised recycling systems, which could result in them being found washed up on the shores. Not a lovely thought.
Are imitation cartridges worth the gamble?
When it comes to ordering replacement toner cartridges, you have many to choose from, but cheap imitations may not be the best option. And they certainly cannot compare to Original HP.
Imitation- A newly built cartridge with non-HP parts and toner. Ultimately, almost all imitation cartridges end up in a landfill.⁷
Remanufactured- A spent HP cartridge that is disassembled, some parts replaced, and refilled with toner. Nearly 94% of remanufactured toner cartridges end up in a landfill.⁷
Refilled- A spent HP cartridge that is refilled with toner through a hole made in the cartridge shell.
Counterfeit- Any non-HP cartridge that is intentionally labelled and packaged to deceive or mislead a customer into thinking that it’s an Original HP product.
HP Original toner- Features patent protected technology and is designed to work most effectively with your HP printer. Buyers choice for reliable print delivery and has passed numerous safety and environment standards.
So make sure you use Original toner for your HP printer. It can save you money, time and help protect the environment.
Purchase your certified products at XMA Store, a triple platinum re seller of HP print and supplies.
Sources:
¹ HP calculations based on results from a 2019 Spencer Lab Europe, Middle East and Africa Monochrome Reliability study comparing cartridges for the HP Pro M402 and Pro 521 printers, HP 26A and 55A cartridges
² 2019 SpencerLab Monochrome Reliability study, commissioned by HP, compared Original HP mono cartridges with five brands of new-build cartridges sold in Europe, Middle East, and Africa for the HP Pro 400 M402 and M521dn MFP printers, HP 26A and 55A cartridges
³ Dec 2017 WKI Blue Angel Indoor Air Quality compliance study commissioned by HP. The study tested 4 New Build Compatible toner cartridge brands sold as substitutes for HP LaserJet Pro MFP M425dn with cartridge 280A. The tests were carried out in compliance with Blue Angel labelling of office equipment in accordance with RAL-UZ-205P. For details, http://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=4AA7-1981ENW
⁴ A 2018 Market Strategies International study commissioned by HP. Results based on 223 surveys from HP ServiceOne Partners who have at least 6 months of experience servicing HP monochrome and/or Color LaserJet printers with HP Original cartridges and non-HP toner cartridges installed in the past 12 months. Study was conducted in 27 countries: UK, IE, FR, DE, IT, , AT, BE, PT, ES, NL, SE, RU, UA, PL, HU, CZ, HR, RO, ZA, SA, AE, EG, MA, QA, and TR. For details, see www.marketstrategies.com/hp/EMEA-Technician2018.pdf
⁵ A 2018 Market Strategies International study commissioned by HP. Results based on 223 surveys from HP ServiceOne Partners who have at least 6 months of experience servicing HP monochrome and/or Colour LaserJet printers with HP Original cartridges and non-HP toner cartridges installed in the past 12 months
⁶ 2019 EMEA Four Elements Consulting LCA study, commissioned by HP, compared Original HP 55A and 26A monochrome toner cartridges with a sample of imitation alternatives across eight environmental impact categories. See http://www.hp.com/go/EMEA-LJLCA-NBC-2019. The LCA leverages a 2019 SpencerLab study, commissioned by HP, comparing Original HP LaserJet toner cartridges with two brands of imitation toner cartridges sold in EMEA. See www.spencerlab.com/reports/HPReliability-EMEA-NBC2019.pdf
⁷ InfoTrends, 2018 Western Europe Supplies Recycling study, commissioned by HP. Findings are based on average results of interviews with 7 remanufacturers and 6 brokers. See hp.com/go/EMEA-2018InfoTrends.
