Regarding Disposal of Surplus Ink/Toner Cartridges, Approx. 36% 'Dispose as Household Waste.' Approx. 92% Feel Throwing Away Unused Cartridges is 'Wasteful.'

What do you do with your surplus ink and toner cartridges? When the printer breaks down and you buy a new one. When you don't print as much as you expected. When the colors run out at different rates. When using a printer, you may end up with unused ink or toner cartridges. In such cases, some people dispose of them immediately, while many others store them away in a drawer, thinking, 'I don't know where to throw this away' or 'It seems wasteful since it can still be used.' Therefore, this time, in collaboration with MAKALY Inc., which buys and sells printing machine consumables, we conducted a survey on 'Surplus and Disposal of Ink/Toner Cartridges' targeting 500 men and women nationwide.

26.8% answered they 'have experience with leftover unused cartridges' First, we asked if they have ever had leftover unused ink or toner cartridges. The results showed that 20.4% said 'a few times' and 6.4% said 'many times,' totaling 26.8%. On the other hand, 73.2% answered 'never.' Although not a majority, it is clear that more than one in four people have experienced having leftover cartridges. Since printer ink and toner are often used in sets of multiple colors, it seems that depending on usage, only specific cartridges may be left over.

The most common reasons for leftovers are 'printer malfunction/replacement' and 'uneven usage by color' Next, we asked those who had leftover cartridges for the reasons. Many cited printer malfunction or replacement as the reason. It appears that when switching to a new model, the cartridge standards may not match, making the stocked ink or toner unusable. Another reason mentioned was the difference in usage amounts for each color. Black is used frequently, while other colors deplete slowly, resulting in only specific colors from a set purchase being left over.

Regarding the handling of leftover cartridges, the most common was 'disposed of as household waste' at 35.8% Next, we asked those with leftover cartridges how they currently handle them. The most common answer was 'disposed of as household waste' at 35.8%. This was followed by 'kept in storage at home/work' at 26.1%, and 'taken to a collection box at an electronics store' at 24.6%. While many leftover cartridges are stored due to uncertainty about disposal methods, it is clear that a significant number of people dispose of them as household waste. Although a certain number of people use collection boxes, it suggests that proper disposal methods are not sufficiently widespread.

29.1% answered they 'have had trouble with disposal methods' We then asked those with leftover cartridges if they have had trouble with disposal methods. The results showed that 23.1% 'have had some trouble' and 6.0% 'have had significant trouble,' totaling 29.1%. On the other hand, 44.0% 'did not have much trouble' and 26.9% 'had no trouble at all.' Although only about 30% had trouble, it is clear that a certain number of people were unsure how to dispose of leftover cartridges.

The main difficulties were 'not knowing how to dispose' and 'not knowing where to dispose' Next, we asked those who had trouble with disposal methods about the specific difficulties. Many responses were along the lines of 'I don't know how to dispose of it' and 'I don't know where to dispose of it.' Some mentioned that compatible or unused cartridges were not accepted for collection, indicating that the disposal method's complexity, depending on the cartridge type and condition, leads to confusion.

91.8% answered that 'disposing of unused cartridges is wasteful' Finally, we asked those with leftover cartridges if they feel it is 'wasteful' to dispose of unused cartridges. The results showed that 54.5% 'strongly feel so' and 37.3% 'somewhat feel so,' totaling 91.8%. On the other hand, those who 'don't feel so much' or 'don't feel so at all' accounted for less than 10% combined. This means that over 90% of those with experience of leftover cartridges feel that 'disposal is wasteful.' Many expressed sentiments like 'It feels like a waste of money since it was expensive' and 'It's a waste to throw away something that can still be used.' Reasons cited included not only the financial burden but also a resistance to disposing of usable items and an awareness of environmental issues. It seems many people view unused cartridges not just as unwanted items, but as 'things that still have value.'

Summary This survey revealed that over 90% of people with experience of leftover ink/toner cartridges feel it is 'wasteful' to dispose of them. On the other hand, about 30% have had trouble with disposal methods. The main reasons for trouble were 'not knowing where to dispose' and 'not knowing how to dispose.' As a result, many people either dispose of them as household waste or keep them in storage at home or work, with options like giving them away or selling them not being widely utilized. Leftover cartridges are worth pausing to think about before throwing them away. It seems important to create an environment and provide information that allows people to easily consult and make good use of buy-back services and recycling systems.