A Step Forward

Is circumventing the smart chip technology on inkjet cartridges a form of piracy or environmentalism? Printer manufacturer’s claim it’s an infringement to their technological rights, while members of the European Union find smart chips to be partially responsible for the build-up of electronic waste. In a December, 2002 ruling, which comes into effect in 2006, electronic waste, be it in the form of computers, printers and even cartridges, will be easier to recycle. In an Infoworld article, Laura Rhodes states that the European Parliament intends to “ratify the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, which includes provisions requiring companies to make their products easier to reuse and recycle” (Infoworld, 2002). Specifically, the EU focuses on the implementation of smart chip technology in inkjet cartridges, a technology which makes refilling and recycling ink and toner cartridges next to impossible (Geek.com, 2002).

Many ink cartridge manufacturers, such as Epson, use a smart chip technology on their inkjet cartridges. The chip monitors the ink levels of the cartridge, informing the printer of the amount of ink available. This chip makes it difficult for consumers to refill and reuse their own cartridges because once the chip reads the cartridge as empty, the printer will not use the cartridge to print. Even if a cartridge is refilled, the chip will still read the cartridge as empty, thus creating non-recyclable waste.

The EU’s directive on Electronic Waste, the WEEE directive, established that printer companies such as Canon, HP and Lexmark must change or eliminate their smart chip technology so that consumer’s can reuse cartridges instead of contributing them to the ever increasing amounts of E-waste (Infoworld, 2002).

E-waste is not limited to Europe however, and is also an increasingly rampant problem in North America. “The United States generates more e-waste than any other nation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. More than 4.6 million tons of it entered U.S. landfills in 2000, and that amount is projected to grow fourfold in the next few years.” (Wired, 2003). Perhaps the EU’s environmental directive will influence policy makers in North America, granting consumers the choice to refill and re-use their ink or toner cartridges without the worry of smart chip technology.

As many printer companies develop chips that prevent customer’s from refilling their cartridges, chip resetting technology is being developed to reset the newest chips, enabling cartridges to be refilled. Particularly, inkjetcartridges.com stocks several chip resetters, including several pinned Epson Universal Chip Resetters.