Copier toner cartridges differ from new, brand-name items mostly in price. Printer supplies are high-priced, and the leading manufacturers aren't lowering their prices. Printing machines--printers, copiers, faxes--have come down in price every year, but supplies have not kept pace.

The increasing popularity of generics and refurbished supplies for printing machines has enabled consumers to cut printing expenses dramatically. Although toner lasts a long time, copier toner cartridges, for instance, are expensive. Cartridges are recycled in several ways; they can be remanufactured or refilled.

Refurbished Toner Cartridges

Remanufactured inkjet cartridges and toner cartridges are completely overhauled, if necessary. They are disassembled and any worn-out parts replaced. The unit is cleaned, refilled, reassembled, and tested as part of a quality-control procedure. Finally, they are ISO-certified, meaning, they meet or exceed brand-name standards.

Refilled toner cartridges can be professionally processed or refilled by the printer owner. Refill kits are simple to use, and the method is clean and fast. Bottled toner is injected into the toner cartridge, and the renewed cartridge is ready to go. If the cartridge is in good working order, refilling is even cheaper than buying reconditioned toner cartridges.