Virtual exhibition BUSINESS-INFORM 2020-2022

1. Today we see an extremely difficult situation throughout Russia and the World. How do you evaluate the reduction of the consumables market in Russia for 2020-2021? What are you doing (planning to do) to keep your company running? 

Today it is very difficult to forecast the volume of decline on the Russian market of consumables. Firstly, it mainly depends on the number of companies that will continue their activity after self-isolation routine is over. Secondly, the other equally important issue is the development of remote forms of working activities and reduction of hardcopy-document workflow. Both of those factors will undoubtedly lead to decrease of printing volumes and therefore to reduction of the printing supplies market. It is evident that we talk here about the considerable decrease. 

2. What is the share of remanufactured cartridges or components for remanufacturing in your sales? In your opinion, what are the perspectives of remanufacturing industry on the Russian market? 

Our company, UNITON SERVICE, is totally oriented towards both the process of remanufacturing cartridges and on supplying raw materials and parts for remanufacturing. The share of the so-called Chinese newly-built cartridges is non-substantial and represents some kind of service for customers.

The Russian market of the Chinese-made cartridges constitutes according to various estimates from 10 to 15 mln pieces annually. In terms of toner (used in those cartridges) the number reaches 1000/1500 tons per year. The market of toner itself during the last few years has decreased by more than 1000 tons (of total volume per year). It can be seen with a naked eye that those numbers do correlate with each other. At the same time the volume of the toner market remains (with losses considered) on the level slightly less than 5000 tons. That means that the market of refills and remanufacturing even if it remains in harsh stagnation still considerably outweighs the market of the Chinese cartridges.

Therefore the industry of cartridge remanufacturing is alive in Russiabut still lacks the instruments necessary for its development, such as uniform approach towards understanding of quality and legislative regulation. As an example, remanufactured cartridges cannot participate in public sector procurements. Some steps in this direction have been done, for instance, the registration of the LEM-method for evaluation of printing quality and yield. By the way, quality and yield evaluation contests of cartridges of different brands held by Information Agency “Business-Inform” based on the LEM-method undoubtedly demonstrated the considerable superiority of remanufactured OEM-cartridges over the best representatives of the Chinese industry. 

3. This issue contains the discussion between two well-known specialists, Volker Kappius (Delacamp) and Steve Weedon (Pelikan, Print-Rite) on the topic of “Are New Built Cartridges Bad for the Environment?” Volker Kappius says they are actually bad (stating the data regarding their harmfulness for the environment, printing quality, decreased yield, and “single-usability”), however, Steve Weedon states that they are not bad (telling that ОЕМ-cartridges as well as remanufactured ОЕМ-cartridges are no less harmful for environment than newly-built cartridges, + that ОЕМ-cartridges can be remanufactured only once). In your opinion, who is right? Maybe the “truth is out there” somewhere? 

We know Volker Kappius and Delacamp well; they supply toners and OPCs made by MKI (Japan) on the Russian market. Print Rite’s cartridges, that had been well-known on the Russian market about 10 years ago, right now are virtually not supplied in Russia.

That is why the discussion of the quality and eco-friendliness of Print Rite products is useless due to absence of these cartridges on the market. However, speaking of manufacturers of the Chinese cartridges supplied on the Russian market, the large amount of the information has been collected, and unfortunately it confirms the conclusions made by Volker Kappius. Also the conclusion made by Steve Weedon that the reuse of cartridges (refilling or remanufacturing) doesn’t significantly reduce the environmental load, doesn’t stand a chance against criticism. On the other hand, his conclusion about reuse of the quality Chinese-made cartridges is confirmed by our experience in refilling such products. 

4. The COVID-19 outbreak will end sooner or later. Accordingly, as never before, the issues of the new jobs, import replacement, and environment will come to the forefront. What are the plans of your company in regard to this situation? Maybe it is time for remanufacturing industry companies to join their forces and ask the government for support to the industry? 

The restoring and developing of remanufacturing industry solves several issues simultaneously. First of all, of course, it is about jobs. Secondly, it is the reducing of environmental load. If organized correctly it can also decrease the cost of printing by using higher yield cartridges.

Therefore the support of this industry will give only the positive effect both for economy and for environment of our country. I hope that AQCMS together with the Information Agency “Business-Inform” will manage to bring the objective information to our government. 

5. What kind of help would you like to receive from the Russian government? What measures taken in support of business by the state have really helped or may yet help you? 

One of the main functions of the state is to regulate the life of the country using legislative acts. It is in this area where our industry really needs help in the form of lifting bans on participation of remanufactured products in public bids, also with securing the status of Russian manufacturing.

Details: BUSINESS-INFORM Review (issue #27, 2020)