How often can an inkjet cartridge be recycled?
It depends upon the cartridge and how it has been treated. If you look on the back of your cartridge you may notice ‘flex circuit pads’ ( Not all cartridges are of this type ). These pads connect to the nozzles of your print head. They communicate directly with your printer and convey electricity and information to the printhead. If just one of these flex pads is damaged then a line will appear in your printout and cannot always be repaired. Another situation that can occur is the crystallization of ink in the nozzle of your printhead. This is caused by ink build up in the nozzle from ‘dry firing’, ie. when the cartridge runs out of ink and continues to try to print ( note question “What can I do to make my cartridges last longer?”). On average, we have found that most cartridges perform well for 4–6 refills. Some cartridges, particularly of the “tank only” type may get as many as 20 or more refills.
