Original cartridges, filled with ink or toner, arrive in the box with your new printer or fax equipment. These cartridges are made by the same manufacturer or produced for that manufacturer as brand new equipment and no parts have ever been used. Happily, you set up your new equipment, install the cartridge and begin to print or fax. After some time, the ink or toner runs out and you have to purchase another cartridge. This is where sticker shock can occur. The cost of toner cartridges or ink cartridges can be quite expensive, especially if you print or fax a lot.

Original cartridges are always a choice you can make when purchasing equipment for your printer or fax. But they are not the only solution. Non-original cartridges can be purchased at quite a savings.

Non-original cartridges are available in two different types: compatible cartridges and remanufactured cartridges. But what is the different? There's a great deal of different between the two types.

Non-original cartridges are simply those made by a manufacturer other than the original equipment manufacturer that fit your printer or fax perfectly. These cartridges carry a different brand name than that of your printer or fax machine but, if you choose the cartridge that is clearly marked to be the correct one for your equipment, these will work perfectly and cost less than the original cartridges.

Remanufactured cartridges are actually recycled cartridges. If remanufactured by a reputable company, these work just like original equipment. This type of non-original cartridge is, quite simply, an empty cartridge that has been cleaned, parts replaced where necessary, ink or toner refilled, quality checked and then the refreshed cartridge is packaged for sale. These cartridges not only save the environment by spotting empty cartridges from ending up in the landfill, but they can save you lots and lots of money. If you choose a reputable company, these cartridges are every bit as good as the original cartridges and any reputable company will guarantee their cartridges, replacing any that do not work correctly.

If you have ended up with stacks and stacks of empty toner or ink cartridges hidden in your storage room because you don't know what to do with these empties, they should be recycled. You can locate a cartridge remanufacturing company in your area and drop off these empties, doing your part of help the environment.

If you have tried refilling ink jet cartridges, you already know what a messy, messy job that can be and how often the process doesn't work right at all. Either the refilled cartridge dumps ink all over your page or doesn't feed ink at all. Non-original cartridges, because of their low price, allow you to avoid this hassle. It is so much easier to just remove the non-original cartridge from the box and install it than to clean up after a messy refill attempt that may not work anyway