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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/10/more-than-a-million-printer-cartridges-in-storage-with-planet-ark-recycling-scheme-on-pause

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More than a million printer cartridges in storage with Planet Ark recycling scheme on pause Planet Ark corrects earlier claim that a million printer cartridges are in storage at recycling plant
(about 4 hours later)
Halt follows a fire at a Melbourne recycling facility, which is also linked to the closure of Coles and Woolworths soft plastics recycling The not-for-profit had said a fire at a Melbourne facility linked to the closure of Coles and Woolworths soft plastics recycling had delayed processing, but now says this is not the case
More than 1m used printer cartridges returned as part of a Planet Ark recycling program are being held in storage until at least the middle of next year. Planet Ark has walked back a claim that more than 1m ink cartridges collected under one of its programs were being stored at a recycling facility.
Planet Ark has told the Guardian the printer cartridges can’t currently be recycled because of a June fire at a recycling facility in Melbourne. Earlier on Thursday, the not-for-profit organisation issued a statement saying 1.1m ink cartridges were being stored at a recycling plant in Melbourne run by Close the Loop.
That same fire that has paused recycling at Close the Loop’s Somerton facility was also partly blamed for the closing this week of a major soft plastic recycling scheme backed by Coles and Woolworths. Planet Ark had said a fire at the Somerton facility in June had meant the processing of the cartridges would be on hold until the middle of 2023.
REDcycle, which coordinates the collection of those soft plastics, said Wednesday Close the Loop would start accepting its soft plastics again by “early to mid next year when their processing lines are operational again”. The same fire was partially blamed for the closing this week of a major soft plastic collection and recycling scheme – REDcycle – where more than 5m pieces were dropped by the public at Coles and Woolworths supermarkets each day.
The Guardian understands about 12,000 tonnes of soft plastic has been stockpiled. But late on Thursday, Planet Ark issued a clarification saying that processing of the cartridges was continuing at Close the Loop.
Planet Ark said the public and businesses should continue to return printer cartridges as normal and that all the stored cartridges would eventually be recycled. The statement said: “Close the Loop processes about 16,000 printer consumable units a day and these continue to be received from all sources as per normal.
A Planet Ark statement said: “Unfortunately, Close the Loop experienced a fire at their Melbourne-based recycling facility in June 2022, which has temporarily limited their ability to recycle. “These cartridges are not being stockpiled, which would refer to a broken supply chain with inactive processes.”
“There are currently 1.1m cartridges being stored by Close the Loop, all of which will be recycled with the reopening of their recycling facility in 2023. Cartridges will continue to be collected and safely stored until the plant reopens, which is expected to be mid-2023.”
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Since Cartridges 4 Planet Ark was launched in 2003, about 50.6m cartridges have been recycled “with zero waste to landfill”, the not-for-profit organisation said. Since Cartridges 4 Planet Ark was launched in 2003, some 50.6m cartridges have been recycled “with zero waste to landfill”, the not-for-profit organisation said.
“Close the Loop is the only cartridge recycling processor in Australia with a zero waste-to-landfill capability proven over many years of operation. This zero waste-to-landfill promise remains the environmental commitment of the Cartridges 4 Planet Ark program,” Planet Ark said. Close the Loop told Guardian Australia one part of the recycling process that applied to some of the cartridges involved crushing them and, for those, a new line was being built that would increase the capacity to deal with printer consumables.
A Close the Loop spokesperson said: “Nothing is being stored. The printer consumables program – which includes cartridges, but also ink jets, drum units and waste collectors – is running as usual.
“Close the Loop will have increased capacity to process printer consumables once the line upgrade is finished in January, so any bits of consumable waiting to be crushed will very quickly be processed in the normal way.”
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Close the Loop uses both soft plastics and the toner powder from ink cartridges to make an additive for road asphalt called TonerPlas. But a fire at the Somerton facility’s TonerPlas manufacturing line in June has paused production. The new line would be running by the end of January 2023, but this was unrelated to a fire that had affected a part of the facility that uses ink toner powder and soft plastics to create an additive for road asphalt.
In a statement to the ASX yesterday, Close the Loop said: “The supply of TonerPlas … is on track to resume full production by mid-2023, with a fourfold increase in the scale of the operation.” REDcycle, which coordinates the collection of those soft plastics, said on Wednesday that Close the Loop would start accepting its soft plastics again by “early to mid next year when their processing lines are operational again”.
Guardian Australia understands REDcycle is stockpiling about 12,000 tonnes of soft plastic, but the organisation has refused to disclose where the plastics are being stored.
Recycling experts have said the problems for REDcycle reveal a broader issue with a lack of local manufacturing options for collected recyclable materials.Recycling experts have said the problems for REDcycle reveal a broader issue with a lack of local manufacturing options for collected recyclable materials.
Close the Loop said the company “reiterates the need for ongoing evolution in the local collection and recycling industry that uses multiple collection, recycling and reuse options as part of a diverse circular economy”. Close the Loop said in a statement to the ASX that the company “reiterates the need for ongoing evolution in the local collection and recycling industry that uses multiple collection, recycling and reuse options as part of a diverse circular economy”.
This article was substantially amended on 10 November 2022 after Planet Ark retracted its earlier incorrect claim that the cartridges were being stored.
This article was substantially amended on 10 November 2022 after Planet Ark retracted its earlier incorrect claim that the cartridges were being stored.