Why not be green when it seems like everybody else is moving that direction anyway? If things go well, then everybody will see how important it is to follow this trend. Recently HP announced 2 new printers, the HP LaserJet P2055dn and LaserJet P2055n. These are black and white printers that focus on efficiencies and long lifespans.

These two newly released printers have energy-saving and paper-saving features. Consumers everywhere are starting to look for “green” products, and some of them are refusing to accept anything else. Many companies are coming out and declaring, at a minimum, an intention to be green, and HP is doing that and more. Just as recently as July 2009, Greenpeace targeted the company for a protest over its delays to remove hazardous components from its laptops. It would appear that HP had learned the error of its ways, only to emerge as one of the greenest Fortune 500 companies. Talk about a turn-around!

The HP LaserJet P2055 printers are qualified to use the Energy Star label. They are primarily focused on small- to medium-sized businesses with a 35-page per minute (ppm) print speed. The new technology used in both of these new printers reduces energy use by up to 50% when compared to more traditional technology, according to HP.

Both printers have been designed to quickly and easily print on both sides of one paper, paper that can be 100% recycled without any problems. They include features like 1200dpi (dots per inch) printing at a speed of 35 ppm (pages per minute). They also have a 16″x2″ LCD display.

The “HP Eco Solutions Print Console” is designed to help administrators reduce energy and paper waste from a standard PC by altering settings. The company also has Carbon Footprint Calculator to help guide users through the best way of printing to help the environment. These printers are expected to be reasonably priced, despite the assortnent of new technology and tools.

Hewlett-Packard also announced that they will be using recycled plastic to make their HP ink cartridges. Some ink cartridges may be small, but they can add up to quite a large detriment to the environment. They planned to replace 10 million pounds of raw material with 10 million pounds of recycled material. This recycled plastic is derived from recycled bottles and other goods.

HP has made a commitment to reduce their use of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption by 25 percent from their levels in 2005 by the year 2010. The company states that it knows helping the environment and lowering their carbon footprint in the world begins with research and development, finding better ways of doing business. The entirety of the technology industry has certainly had an impact on the environment. Now that the truth has been revealed, they need to step forward and accept the consequences. HP seems to be doing that with the number of programs that have begun in that vein.

The company states it was the first computer manufacturer to run its own recycling operations in 1997. They set a goal for the year 2007, and that was to recycle at least one billion pounds of materials and products, and they succeeded. Between recycling, trading in, donating, and returning used components, HP has made many options available to its users.

Plenty of families are trying to cut back because of the economy, and for some things, you can get the same results at a lower price. One way that a lot of people are cutting costs is by using replacement versions of ink cartridges.  Many people are still purchasing OEM Brand name cartridges and either turning them in for recycling or simply throwing them in the garbage. However, many have started riding the refillable ink train and are saving tons of money in the process.  Ink cartridge refilling is an intelligent and inexpensive way to make your cartridges last longer. In addition to that, there’s more than one option for refilling your cartridges: by yourself, or through a service.  Is one of these methods better than the other?  Now, we’ll take a look at a few pros and a few cons of each option to really find out.

Do-It-Yourself: Plenty of online stores and office supply stores carry refill kits.  Most kits have enough ink to refill a single cartridge as many as 3 times, and most cartridges can withstand being filled between 4 and 8 times before really going bad.  One important thing to note is that a cartridge should be refilled before they are completely empty to avoid having too much dried ink blocking the nozzle. A completely empty ink cartridge will start to get gummy and dried out when it’s refilled.  It is also completely necessary that the refill kit is completely compatible with the original cartridge.  At between $15 and $25, the ink cartridge refills are well priced.  They also carry the convenience of being able to refill your cartridges without leaving the house.  The disadvantage of refilling cartridges yourself involves spilling or leaking ink, overfilling the cartridge and possibly damaging the print nozzle while refilling. Air getting inside the chamber and causing flow problems during normal printer operation is another common problem.

Refill Services: A refill service can take your cartridges through the mail, refill them, and mail them back for less than a lot of people might think. One option is to buy a package deal in which you send off multiple ink cartridges simultaneously so that the service can refill them all at once and send them back.  While it does cost more for you to have a service refill your cartridges, it can provide peace of mind in knowing that the person refilling your ink cartridges knows what they’re doing and what problems to look out for.  As well, upon completion of refilling, the cartridge is tested to ensure it will function. That’s one thing you can’t do yourself without risking the cartridge, or worse, the printer.

In truth, we should all be doing our part. Refilling ink cartridges, in some small way, helps the environment. Fewer empty ink cartridges in landfills is a good thing.  However, considering both options to refill cartridges it seems to be worth the extra money to let the experts do it.  While it might require a trip to the store and some waiting time, it’s better than making a mess only to have the cartridge work incorrectly.