Project Description
Office supplies present a great opportunity for choosing more sustainable products at Multnomah County. Central Stores now purchases printer cartridges that perform just as well as other cartridges, but cost less, use recycled materials and support workforce development.
Fiscal Sustainability
Multnomah County purchases over $330,000 in print cartridges annually. Central Stores purchases new compatible cartridges which save the County over $44,000 annually when compared with new original equipment manufacturer (OEM) cartridges.
Environmental Sustainability
The new compatibles are a toner cartridge that utilize the shell of a used toner but with new internal parts. Reusing the toner cartridge shell and using parts made with recycled content reduces the amount of energy, petroleum, and other toxics needed to manufacture the products. And the cartridges are just as durable as OEM versions.
Social Equity
Our cartridge vendor is a qualified rehabilitation facility (QRF). QRFs employ people with professionally documented disabilities for at least 75% of all their hours of direct labor. To promote the employment of people with disabilities, the Products of Disabled Individuals Law allows Oregon Public Agencies to negotiate directly with QRFs for purchases, resulting in an agreement that is a benefit for all.
