Remanufactured laser and fax toner cartridges not only cost approximately 30% less than new cartridges, but they work as well or better than new cartridges. Sounds too good to be true? It’s not. And remanufacturers of high quality cartridges can back up this statement by pointing to the quality standards and certification program that were recently established by the remanufactured toner cartridge industry.

In order to provide quality assurance to its customers, the remanufactured toner cartridge industry worked with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) to develop a series of integrated standardized tests that evaluate image quality, cartridge integrity and cartridge yield for all-in-one laser printer toner cartridges. The National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the industry’s independent testing organization, utilizes these tests in its evaluation of remanufactured cartridges and provides certified test results to remanufacturers.

Test results compare the performance of submitted samples against benchmark specifications and can be provided by remanufacturers to prospective customers as evidence of product quality. These quality assurance efforts should help erase the negative perception that some companies have of remanufactured toner cartridges.

For further information, contact the National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery at 716-475-6091 or at www.reman.rit.edu.

DuPont Finds New Uses for Old Carpet

The DuPont Carpet Reclamation Program not only keeps old commercial carpets out of landfills, but it has led to the development of

Did You Know…

• Recycline, a toothbrush manufacturer in Massachusetts, uses 100% recycled plastics including post-consumer polypropylene yogurt cups collected by Stonyfield Farm, a New Hampshire yogurt producer, to make handles for its Preserve toothbrush line.
• Over 1,400 product listings for "green" building materials, including many recycled content building products, are included in the updated "GreenSpec" Directory published by the Environmental Building News. For more information, visit EBN’s website at www.buildinggreen.com.
• The U.S. Department of the Interior announced that fifteen miles of wooden boardwalk in Yellowstone National Park will be replaced with boardwalk made of recycled plastic lumber.
• The Recycled Products Purchasing Cooperative, a non-profit program dedicated to natural resource conservation, provides 30% postconsumer recycled paper at prices that meet or beat what many entities pay for non-recycled or "virgin fiber" paper. Membership in the Co-op is free. For more information, call 617-236-7715 or visit their website at www.recycledproducts.org.
• The NJDEP, Bureau of Recycling and Planning’s Buy Recycled website contains over 100 links to a variety of recycled products and general information about recycled product procurement. Visit the website at www.recyclenj.org.

While scrap tires may be a problem in terms of illegal dumping, they inspire innovation and creativity in terms of their recycling and reuse. New products made from scrap tires continue to appear in the marketplace and are getting noticed not only for their usefulness but also for their inventiveness. The following are just some of the new scrap tire derived products on the scene:

• Fashion Bags – American Rubber Technologies new "PermaBags" come in a variety of styles and are made with 51% recycled tire content. Visit www.americanrubber.com for more information.
• On-Deck Circles for Baseball – RB Rubber’s On-Deck Circles are easy to install, spike resistant and provide a comfortable "on-deck" waiting area for batters. The Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves, among other teams, use this product. Call 503-472-4691 or visit www.rbrubber.com/on-deckcircles for more information.
• Rubber Mulch – Although initially more expensive, the rubber mulch produced by Rubber Mulch, Etc. lasts longer than wood mulch. As such, homeowners save by not having to buy mulch as often. Through a proprietary process, the mulch is made available in "Earthtone" and "Redwood" colors. Call 800-495-3688 for more information.
  
  GreenOrder Hits the Scene
  GreenOrder is a new resource for those interested in buying or supplying environmentally preferable products, including recycled products. The mission of this enterprise is to help companies and institutions save money and realize the many benefits of resource-efficient products in their day-to-day operations.
  
  GreenOrder offers a variety of services to its subscribers and can provide a customized procurement program for large corporations and other institutions. For more information, contact Fran McPoland at 703-765-2723 or 202-550-2674 or visit www.greenorder.com.

• The New Jersey Buy Recycled Business Network will organize and conduct a Buy Recycled education and training program for the November meeting of the National Association of Purchasing Managers – New Jersey Chapter.
• Recognition in the NJDEP, Bureau of Recycling and Planning’s fall advertising campaign is available to those members who recruit new members.
• Nominations for the annual Buy Recycled Business Award are due August 28, 2001. Contact Marie Kruzan of the Association of New Jersey Recyclers at 908-722-7575 for nomination forms.
• Please welcome the following companies as new members of the Network:
  
  Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (pharmaceutical), Princeton – Contact Alice Monachello, 609-252-3944
  
  Colgate Paper Stock Co. Inc. (paper recycling), New Brunswick – Joe DiNardi, 732-246-8446

Staples to Increase Focus on Recycled Products

Staples Inc., a prominent office supply company, is taking steps to promote recycled paper products at its stores throughout the country. Recycled content copy paper will now be an option for customers using the company’s copy centers. A new line of 30% recycled content copy paper will also be made available. In addition, Staples will highlight those recycled products for sale at its stores. According to company officials, each Staples store offers almost 450 recycled content products.

New Jersey Buy Recycled Business Network
Joseph Verga, Verizon – Co-Chair
973-266-9033 or Joseph.A.Verga@Verizon.com
Steven Rinaldi, NJDEP, Bureau of Recycling and Planning – Co-Chair, 609-984-3438 or SRinaldi@dep.state.nj.us
Editor: Steven Rinaldi