Printing – The Green Way

Being green is rarely easy but when it comes to printing there are a few options open to you to reduce your impact on the planet.
Refilling your cartridge may seem a small thing but if everyone did this instead of throwing their old one away into landfill then the impact would be noticeable.

Brother laser printers are inexpensive and offer a high quality print but, like all laser printers, the often hidden or overlooked expense of laser toner can make printing considerably more expensive than you first thought. New cartridges, bought regularly, can quickly mount up in cost but there is a way around this. The Brother laser toner refill video shows how you can use refill kits to refill the toner in your Brother laser printer, saving money and reducing your impact on the environment as a result.

The following video from the Urefill Toner website has more info on refilling:

Cartridge Types

The Brother laser toner refill video first discusses the differences between starter and bought cartridges. When you purchase a printer it will include starter cartridges. These will usually have less toner than bought cartridges and are, effectively, meant to get you started with the printing process. They provide enough toner so that you can print a few pages, get used to the printing process, and then get ready to have to buy more cartridges in the future.

Identifying The Cartridge

In the case of the Brother HL-3040CN printer, which this video is based on, you can identify the bought cartridge because it has a full product code label on the top of the cartridge. In contrast, the starter cartridge has only a label that identifies the colour of the cartridge in question. It is important that you identify the type of cartridge that you have before trying to refill it because it will make a difference to the items you need and the process that you use.

When To Refill Your Cartridge

The video explains that you should wait until your computer tells you the toner needs replacing. Check the printer display to find out which colour needs replacing. Remember that the cartridge is not in fact completely empty and there is usually around 15g residual toner left in the cartridge so you must ensure that the refill kit you purchase includes ink that will work on top of residual toner levels. If you have experienced problems in the past with poor quality, blotchy prints, following the refilling of your toner cartridge, this may be the reason why.

Refill Your Cartridge

The toner plug in the Brother printer is easy to find. There is a large sticker covering it and this is easily removed. Pull the plug out using a screwdriver and then holding the cartridge facing up prepare to fill with toner. Add the pouring nozzle to the toner bottle and then pour the toner in. Cover the toner nozzle and shake before filling again. Continue doing this until the toner bottle is empty. Before you can replace the cartridge, though, you will need to reset the reset wheel, which is covered in detail in the Brother laser toner refill video.

Brother Laser Toner Refill Video

Laser toner refill kits are an affordable and beneficial alternative to replacing the toner cartridge in your printer every time it runs dry. Wait for your computer to tell you that you need to replace the toner, check on the printer which colour, and then follow the instructions in the Brother laser toner refill video.

Saving money and the environment isn’t so hard then, on reflection. Just the small step of refilling your cartridge can have a huge effect on the planet over the lifetime of your printer. So do the decent thing – refill and get the most from your cartridge. If you have a Brother printer then find your refill here, or if you have another make then view the range of refill solutions here.