EBP refurbished toner sales jump 50 per cent

Remanufactured inkjet printer cartridges selling well and company predicts further growth this year

EBP remanufactures toner cartridges from a number of leading brands

UK inkjet cartridge remanufacturer Environmental Business Products (EBP) has seen its turnover leap 50 per cent for the financial year ending 31 March – and is predicting more growth this year.

EBP's founder, owner and chief executive, Patrick Stead, said he was proud of the achievement, given the tough economic climate.

“Refilling, cleaning and testing a used cartridge and bringing it back to market is immeasurably better for the environment than using an industrial process to break it down to its component parts and recycling those parts in different products,” Stead explained.

“Combined with this huge environmental upside is a significant cost saving for consumers. These factors make our product range extremely attractive.”

Revenue for its 2009/10 financial year jumped to £26.1m ($38.5m), up from £17.4m in the previous year. There was a 45 per cent increase in the volume of empty cartridges collected and graded suitable for the remanufacturing process.

The London company launched 117 new inkjet and laser printer cartridge products during the year. Customers include high-street retailers, grocery channel brands, mail order and web-based brands, such as Office Depot, Viking Direct, WH Smith and Worten.

It also has successful collection schemes, including Each One Counts.

Stead said: “Consumer demand has translated into increased business levels from our existing resellers, as well as new business opportunities for those companies looking to enter the green space with a compelling value proposition.”

EBP also collects unwanted mobile phones for reuse, and saw that activity grow 15 per cent in the year. The company will further develop this higher margin business in future years, it said in a statement.

The firm predicts its presence in the end-of-life electronic goods market will grow markedly in 2010.

“The advance of technology also creates further opportunities. As satnavs, MP3 players and other electronic products reach the end of their useful life, so growth areas open up for us,” said Stead.

According to the UK-based, government-sponsored Centre for Remanufacturing and Reuse (CRR), a new British standard for remanufacturing was released in late 2009.
The standard, BS 8887-220, aims to provide users with a warranty that the remanufacturered product – of whatever kind – is equivalent to or better in performance terms than the new product.

“The CRR believes that product remanufacturing and reuse is vital to the conservation of resources – including materials and energy – presents benefits to both the environment and businesses, and boosts skills, employment and economic activity in the UK,” it said.