JUL 28

More than just a novelty building idea for oddballs living in quirky seaside towns, recycled ink cartridges are making their mark on the building industry. A durable wood substitute can be made from the recycled cartridges, and Lexmark has already nabbed the green publicity potential involved with the concept, sending eLumber on its merry way to a Lexington, KY neighborhood via Habitat for Humanity where it will fulfill its new destiny as a retaining wall.

eLumber can be used for landscaping and non-structural elements in building. The product is black, but can be painted and formed to look like wood and rock, and is touted as highly durable, and water- and insect-resistant…since it is plastic and all. Tom Little from Lexmark, says, "This year we're doing something that's never been done before. It takes completely recycled cartridges and turns it into eLumber. There's no waste, so it's about as green as you can get." Sure, until we get curious about how much energy is put into the recycling process. But we’ll let them have their day in the sunshine.

The product will go commercial later in 2008, but will cost up to 20% more than wood. I guess they’re leaning on the trend toward green building to get buyers for the product.

Via GoodCleanTech, Cartridge, WKYT

Comments (10)

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written by Clinch, July 28, 2008

it's about as green as you can get

Surely just washing the empty ink cartridges, and refilling them would be greener than recycling used ones, and making new ones from scratch.

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fake wood
written by Robguy, July 28, 2008

When I added a deck to my last house I used a 'fake' wood made with wood waste and resin. The big benefit was having a deck that would last at least 50 years without the yearly maintenance.

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@Clinch
written by l, July 29, 2008

HAHAHH! OF COURSE! I knew something was wrong with this idea, but I couldn't think of exactly what it was!

Even if you can refill them, why don't they just grind them up and melt them down to reform the cartridges?! Or just recycle the plastic for a different use?

But building homes out of them for more than the cost of wood? ???

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Nice Try
written by Tarren, July 29, 2008

They also say that these are used for landscaping and are not for structural purposes. I am sure that there are plenty of more useful uses for them then making fake wood.

I do like the fact that Lexmark does have a program for recycling ink cartridges. I am thinking that perhaps the ones they are using for this are ones that are damaged in some way and can't be refilled easily.

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obvious greenwash
written by j, July 29, 2008

how about just making a printer that lets me pour in my own ink, no disposable cartridges, no greenwash bs

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Some Clarity, perhaps
written by Tom Little, July 29, 2008

At the risk of being perceived as an apologist for the printing industry...

There are actual technical reasons that make it impractical to "wash and refill" cartridges. Millions of dollars of technology are involved in the development of inkjet cartridges. The disbursement of ink must be done in a very precise manner in order to match the code sent to the printer. In order to perform properly, the nozzles must be in excellent shape, the chip must not be cracked or damaged, etc. In most cases, it actually takes less energy and related resources to make a new cartridge than to refill or remanufacture one. As a result, it is important to have some practical way to recycle used cartridges. This product - which is NOT intended for use in building houses - is a very nice post-consumer waste product that is environmentally friendly and adds long-term value to landscaping. It doesn't require trees. It doesn't have to be replaced. If used for fencing, it doesn't require painting or sealing. The product may be black, but it really is quite green. To suggest that this is "green wash" is simply incorrect.

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written by Virgil, July 29, 2008

I guess the real issue here (picking up on Robguy's comment) is that this stuff will last 50 years. Err... try 500 for a more realistic estimate of how long plastic sticks around in the environment!

I fail to see in the remotest way possible, how taking a waste product and melting it down so it can be shoved in the soil, is any different from shoving it directly in the soil (i.e., a landfill) to begin with? Just because the landscaping "timbers" are spread out across millions of acres in people's back yards, instead of in a landfill, doesn't get around the issues of leaching crap into groundwater etc.

Lexmark/HP/Epson, how about in addition to making cartridges that can be refilled, you make printers that last more than a couple of years before they burn out? Better still, a printer for which you can actually find the cartridges 2 years later, instead of having to buy a new one because the cartridges have been discontinued (yes, I'm talking to you Lexmark!)

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www.bidforgreen.com
written by Robert Wood, July 29, 2008

No this is not as green as you can get. There are some obvious problems with this kind of product that have been mentioned by others. That being said I would say it is still better used this way than thrown into a land fill, especially if it can be used in places to help stop erosion by terracing a highly erodible area, or using it in projects that will have a very long term use. It’s a bit of the green wash no doubt but it seems to be a reasonable step in the right direction.

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Not Green Lexmark!
written by aleata, March 28, 2009

it seems like Lexmark could just develop a cartridge with a replacable nozzle. That way the chip and stuff would be new and it could be refilled.
I just went through another black lexmark cartridge in no time and I hardly print! It still shows a quarter full but now it is printing the pages with grey lines so I can't even use the rest of my $30 ink!
I am going to buy a new printer and it wont be a Lexmark.

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written by seamless steel pipe, November 17, 2009

It doesn't require trees. It doesn't have to be replaced. If used for fencing, it doesn't require painting or sealing. The product may be black, but it really is quite green.

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