Ink cartridges can be re-sold but it is difficult to do so, for a few reasons.

They are designed to work with specific brands and one brand may not be compatible with another. Quality control is also an issue, making it difficult to guarantee usability. Another major issue is that they are not easily recyclable. The plastic used in ink cartridges is not always accepted by traditional recycling programs, and the ink inside can contaminate other materials. This makes them a regular landfill stock.

As a result our client, a large global e-commerce company, had been receiving 10% recoveries on surplus overstock and returned ink cartridges. STOCS achieved over 2x the this previous recovery, on over 5,000 ink cartridges in 2022, with this number growing substantially and sustainability since, keeping all volumes out of landfill and back into re-use.