Toner and Ink Cartridges

Green purchasing guidance for toner and ink cartridges.

Required specifications

Purchasers must include these specifications, unless not possible:

  • RCW 43.19A: Recycled Product Procurement
    • Set a goal of substantially increasing the state’s purchases of recycled-content products, directs the state to set recycled-content standards, and authorizes state agencies to specify, give priority to and/or offer price preferences for products that contain recycled materials.
  • DES’ Recycled Content Purchasing Preference Policy (POL-DES-255-00)
    • States, “In establishing environmental requirements and preferences for products that contain recycled materials, agencies shall reference the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (EPA CPGs) as the minimum standards for the state of 63 Washington.” This policy also directs state agencies to offer a purchasing preference of at least 10% to bidders whose products have a recycled-content percentage that exceeds the EPA CPG minimum.
  • All toner and ink cartridges must have at least one of the following environmental attributes:
    • Remanufactured (which is consistent with the U.S. EPA’s Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) for Toner Cartridges.
    • Contain at least 30% post-consumer recycled content (PCRC) or 50% total recycled content.
    • High yield (sometimes labeled HY, X, XL, XXL, XP).
    • Remanufactured toner cartridges must be certified by UL ECOLOGO or the ITCC.
  • RCW 39.26.280: Preference—Products and Products in Packaging That Do Not Contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls
    • Prohibits state agencies from knowingly purchasing “products or products in packaging containing polychlorinated biphenyls above the practical quantification limit except when it is not cost-effective or technically feasible to do so.” It also authorizes state agencies to develop policies that offer a bid preference for PCB-free products and packaging.
  • RCW 70A.350
    • The Pollution Prevention for Health People and Puget Sound Act directs Ecology to cyclically identify priority chemicals, priority products and then implement restrictions or reporting through rulemaking or take no action.  At this point in time, inadvertent PCBs in printing inks has been identified as a priority chemical-product combination but the regulatory determination was no action due to likely preemption by federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulations.

Preferred specifications

Purchasers should include these specifications, unless not possible:

Things to avoid

Purchasers should avoid these specifications whenever possible:

  • Bidders must avoid offering PCB-containing products and packaging unless there is no cost-effective or technically feasible alternative.
    • In such cases, they must identify all products and packaging in their offering that contain PCBs. Products and packaging that have been tested and confirmed to have a relatively low concentration of PCBs compared to those offered by other bidders are eligible for a bid preference of at least 5%.
    • Vendors of toner and ink cartridges must provide a viable method for collection of spent cartridges for recycling or remanufacturing that does not create any waste or expense for the customer (e.g., pre-paid shipping/mailing label to be used on original box in which cartridges were received, a collection container for pick up, etc.).

Laws, rules, and executive orders

These laws, rules, and executive orders must be included in the contract language:

Find these products on statewide contracts

Find products that meet Washington’s green purchasing specifications:

End of life

Surplus goods that still can be used

  • Use surplus disposal to get rid of items you no longer need. Keep materials out of landfills and make funds for your agency.

Recycling and disposal

Hazardous waste disposal guidelines and options:

Contact us

Leatta Dahlhoff

Environmental Technical Analyst

Phone 360-407-8108

Email leatta.dahlhoff@des.wa.gov