New certification initiative introduced by ETIRA

September 16, 2021

The European Toner and Inkjet Remanufacturers Association (ETIRA) has launched a new certification label to help customers distinguish between printing cartridges which are better for the environment than others.

The new certified mark will differentiate remanufactured Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) cartridges from new OEM and non-OEM newbuilds.

The certification initiative aims to raise the profile of remanufactured products produced by ETIRA members and eliminate confusion about which cartridges offer a very good environmental performance and those which are widely compatible with poor environmental credentials.

The new label is currently limited to ETIRA members through a qualification process and license agreement, meaning the remanufacturer will be able to apply the certification mark not only to their own brand of cartridges, but any brand of cartridges they have produced for a third party that complies with the license requirements.

Javier Martinez, President of ETIRA, said: “ETIRA is very pleased to announce this new certification initiative which we hope will provide a clearer industry view on which cartridges and printing products offer better environmental performance.

“Our current ETIRA logo is a collective mark, not a certification mark, which means it currently signifies that a good or service originates from a member of a particular association.

“However, certification marks aim to certify that a good or a service complies with specific quality standards irrespective of their origin. These standards include permitted materials, manufacturing methods and service performances.

“For this reason we feel that this certification will make much needed headway in determining the environmental impacts of printing products in the future.”

The ETIRA Certification Mark labels will be available from 20 September 2021.