Epson announces recyclable printer
When the EC-01 runs out of ink, customers simply replace the printer
Epson is showing off a first of its kind product at the IFA show in Berlin, a recyclable printer that is returned when the ink runs dry. Since the EC-01 uses ink cartridges that are not replaceable, customers put down a $75 deposit upon purchase that is refunded only when they return the device to Epson. The eco-friendly machine includes an ink tank that can print approximately 8,000 pages, and is packaged and shipped only in recyclable materials, according to Epson. It'll cost the equivalent of $500 when it ships to Europe later this month, although it remains to be seen if consumers will embrace the concept when sub-$100 models and their associated ink replacements are widely available.
[via CrunchGear]
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Carrie (2:39 PM on Sat Sep 6, 2008)
Is designed obsolescence a concept that has environmental benefits? I doubt it. This sounds like a $500 rental to me. At more than 6 cents per page not including the paper, this is a bit steep, and I imagine the cost of returning the entire printer will be on the consumer as well. What happens when you run out of Magenta ink and still have plenty of the other colors and black? It sounds like just another way to control the flow of ink to me, which is where printer companies make their money. Someday when a printer company offers a product where the public is "allowed" to purchase bulk ink to refill on their own, they'll sell a billion printers.