Realising the magnitude of increasing environmental pressures, Sun Chemical has now joined IGS UK as an important UK sponsor of Colorgreen's incentive which encourages users of solvent-based wide-format printers to dispose of their used cartridges. By using the company's free recycling service, businesses are not only helping to reduce landfill but are also complying with legislation being brought into force by the Health & Safety Executive.

The brainchild of IGS UK, the specialist UK ink distributor, Colorgreen is a free recycling scheme which is easy to integrate into existing green schedules and policies. By registering on the Colorgreen web site, participants are sent boxes which, when filled with used cartridges, are collected and replaced by courier.

Simplicity has proved to be the key with Colorgreen, confirming that working within environmental parameters need be neither costly nor complicated to bring into effect. The added attraction to users of wide-format solvent-based ink cartridges is that the responsibility is transferred away from their businesses to a third-party specialist who will take care of removal and disposal.

Returned cartridges are either recycled for further use or, depending on their condition, are broken down and used in new products which utilise recycled materials. The Colorgreen initiative is successful in simplifying the red tape and mystery surrounding the disposal of waste products which contain hazardous elements.

Since introducing the scheme, 61 companies signed up immediately to be regular users of the Colorgreen initiative. Growth is estimated to be double that number each month, and this looks set to increase with Sun Chemical's sponsorship and as legislation becomes more stringent. Colorgreen also offers links on its web site to the key sources which should be studied by every user of solvent-based wide-format printers in order to understand environmental law as it stands today.