USAGE HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE
King County has purchased remanufactured toner cartridges for laser printers, fax machines and ink-jets since 1991. Cartridges supplied under this contract must meet original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) standards and provide full performance guarantees. A new contract was awarded in 2008 which contained additional requirements for the remanufacturing process, beyond OEM and brought good prices. In 2008, the county purchased 3,400 cartridges, at a cost of approximately $165,000. These purchases saved an estimated $250,000, as the cost of new cartridges is, on average, 2.5 times more expensive than remanufactured cartridges on contract. King County’s specifications require spent cartridges to be remanufactured and all components to be recycled when their useful life is over, reducing the landfill disposal of hazardous material.