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what is waste toner.

Posted by avatar on May 14, 2008

    • By avatarLucas Bester May 11, 2010

    • Waste toner is normally discarded toner from the opc unit.



      Yhis means when you print, not all off the toner goes on the page, normally there is some left on the drum surface. This get wiped away by the cleaner blade of the drum and discarded to a waste toner tank or bottle.



      normally this waste toner tanks/bottle can be emptied or replace with new waste toner bottles.



      This waste toner can't be use again by the printer esp. Color machines.



      Some copiers recycle the waste toner back to the toner cartridge but this only applies to mono copiers.

Solutions (2)

Best Solution

We've printed for years using gallon jugs of waste toner nabbed from Quick Print Shop* dumpsters. We just pop the white plug on our cartriges, fold a paper plate into 4ths, snip the tip to make a funnel, and dump it in a half cup at a time!

*Names changed, LOL

I just emptied the cyan waste cartridge of our HP COlor LaserJet CM1312nfi and was considering reusing the toner, but can see that the color of the used toner is dramatically darker than the new toner. I believe when the residue is on the drum, before being swept, it is lightly 'burned' and therefore darkened. I now understand why you can reuse toner from the Black toner waste cartridge, because it doesn't matter the color. I would imagine you might be able to use the color, too, but the final colors would be duller than using fresh. I also think someone should remind toner recyclers to use caution when refilling as the toner in it's powdered state is very unhealthy. I believe toner dust has been classified by the FDA a class-A carcinogen. Use a mask, wipe down loose particles using a dust cloth & wash hands after! Good luck all!

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