ASL enhances its environmental programme with a 100% toner recycling scheme

With almost half a billion empty toner cartridges going to landfill each year, Cambridge based reprographics and print solutions company, Automated Systems Ltd (ASL) are helping customer reduce their carbon footprint by introducing a toner recycling scheme. ASL has recently been awarded with ISO 14001, the Environmental Management International Standard for their strategy for reducing environmental waste and their carbon footprint. This includes replacing its entire engineer fleet with low CO2 vehicles, recycling all its cardboard and only dealing with ISO 14001 accredited manufacturers. The toner recycling programme, called the "ASL Green Cartridge Scheme" helps customers also play their part in protecting the environment.

According to ASL's Managing Director, Mark Garius, "We were looking to avoid the "6 different bins" syndrome that causes friction in the treatment of waste recycling. Each manufacturer had different or sometimes non-existent recycling schemes. Our goal was to have one simple solution that deals with all cartridges in a customer, regardless of the machine they come from, and, most importantly, costs the customer nothing to implement. We have that solution – the 'ASL Green Cartridge Scheme'"

The "ASL Green Cartridge Scheme" rolled out this summer and means that any customers that choose to join the scheme is provided with an ASL recycling bin free of charge. All empty cartridges can be put into the bin and, once full, the customers calls the relevant number and the bin is collected and an empty one delivered. Toner cartridges in the collected "ASL Green Cartridge Scheme" bins are then processed so that they are fully recycled and no plastics are sent to landfill. Paperwork to that effect is provided so that the customer can be sure that all the correct procedures have been followed – ensuring their own carbon footprint is reduced.

ASL are one of the UK's leading independent document resellers, supplying and managing print, copy and scan solutions from world leading manufacturers. The company is based in Cambridge with offices in the Midlands, London and Milton Keynes employing 100 staff and looks after around 5000 customers across the UK. For more information, call 0845 207 7000 or go to www.asl-group.co.uk