Lou Klinkhamer is concerned about the price and environmental impact of printer ink cartridges. Photo / Warren Buckland
Lou Klinkhamer is taking on the printer ink giants.
He's done the maths and reckons his printer ink now costs him $4800 a litre, or, in Klinkhamer's terms, more than $18,000 a gallon.
Ink cartridges are also harming the environment, he says, so he is trying to do his part to stop this happening.
He wants a solution – a bill passed by Government to force companies to make ink cartridges refillable from the store they were purchased from or their manufacturer, so they don't go to the landfill.
Klinkhamer regularly prints dozens of documents for his wife from his Brother home printer, enough that it requires him to replace the cartridges every six to eight weeks, at a cost of about $140.
He used to take his cartridges to be refilled at Cartridge World in Hastings, but a few years ago was told this was no longer an option, as the cartridges now come with microchips preventing them from being refilled.
He opened up a cartridge and attempted to find a way to refill it himself, but found it wasn't possible without it leaking.
Fed up with having to buy new cartridges each time, he was inspired to do some maths.
The Brother LC3313BK cartridge he buys (which is bigger than the colour cartridges) costs him $48.99.
He weighed a new cartridge – 42 grams – and an empty one – 32 grams.
"The ink contents thus weigh 10 grams. The plastic we throw away. Ten grams thus costs $48.99."
"According to Google there are 3785 grams in a gallon. One gallon of ink thus costs $18,410.
"It's just a rip off," he said.
Brother marketing executive Katie Axcell said the purchase of replacement ink cartridges could be a pain point for some printer customers, regardless of the brand.
"By purchasing Genuine Brother Consumables, customers are not only ensuring they keep their printer in the best possible condition, but they also enable us to provide the highest quality service and support, which includes our free, comprehensive recycling programme."
Axcell said high users of ink cartridges like Klinkhamer could consider investing in a "Brother Inkvestment tank product".
This draws all ink from a high-yield cartridge, storing it in a reservoir.
"Inbox inks and replacement cartridges can deliver up to two years' worth of printing, decreasing the total cost of ownership and reducing the number of cartridge replacements."
Klinkhamer is a volunteer at the Environment Centre Hawke's Bay and says in his work they get "hundreds" of ink cartridges brought in, both empty and unused.
Often people have purchased a new printer and find their old unused cartridges don't fit, he says.
Others just throw both empty and unused cartridges into the landfill, and he is concerned about the impact ink leaching as cartridges break down would have.
He wants the Government to pass a bill where people can return the cartridges to the place of purchase, to be sent back to the manufacturer and be refilled for them.
He would also like to see a system similar to that in Germany where there are bins outside supermarkets where you can return glass, plastic and paper for a refund, so these items can also avoid the landfill.
By speaking out about it, Klinkhamer hopes others also frustrated with the cost and environmental impact of printer ink and cartridges will stand alongside him.
"I am trying to do my 10 cents worth to prevent landfills being contaminated with dirty plastic cartridges which could eventually get into our water aquifers."
Axcell said in Brother had established itself in New Zealand as a recycling industry leader with a large-scale system that included nationwide drop-off points for ink cartridges at "any of our retailer partners".
"Minimising our environmental footprint is one of our key priorities as a business. We're passionate about creating a circular economy, where we support sustainable practices and reduce the risk of harm from waste."
Since 2008, Brother in NZ had recycled 1,067,000 laser cartridges, 879,000 ink cartridges and 6000 fax cartridges, she said.
Between April 2011 and March 2020 Brother NZ also achieved a 52 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, for which it has been recognised as one of NZ's top five reducers, she said.