A late night working on a freelance job put me under time pressure to find a box in the garage that I could dispose of before midnight Monday. It would have been disastrous to whiff on just the second day of the “365 Boxes” project.
Box 2: Monday, Jan. 2, 2023
Contents: The box, which contained an Epson printer we bought years ago, held only a piece of plastic foam and a plastic bag. Through an unexpected twist, I happened to know where the printer was, stashed away somewhere else in the garage. The lifespan of printers is three to five years, but we got considerably more use than that out of this one. At the end, the machine flashed us a message that the inkpads had worn out, and it stopped working. We did what everybody else does: We bought a new printer.
But a tiny bit of research on the internet unearthed this Gizmodo story, which makes the case that the inkpads — porous pads that soak up excess ink that can cause property damage or harm the printer — can be replaced by someone who knows what they’re doing.
That rules me out. But it made me wonder: To what extent is planned obsolescence responsible for the clutter in my garage? That sounds like an easy excuse, but I still might trot it out at some point, especially if the “365 Boxes” project goes sideways.
Disposition: My wife, a Master Recycler, reports that the plastic foam can only be recycled locally at First Alternative Co-op, but you have to pay for the privilege. She reports that she will reuse the plastic bag. I don’t doubt that. The printer was placed back in its original box in a heartwarming reunion and likely is headed to the Republic e-waste depot — unless someone out there wants to take a shot at fixing the inkpads. In the meantime, I’ll store it in the back of my Prius. (I know that some of you may be thinking that the whole point of “365 Boxes” is simply to move clutter from my garage into my Prius, and here’s what I have to say to that: It’s a possibility.)
If you’re coming late to the whole “365 Boxes” project, here’s the blog post that got it all rolling. It seems like it was just yesterday.
Or you might google
Eason Xp-440 ink pad replace
…it doesn’t look too horrid a procedure – there are detailed youtubes- this is still a currently-sold printer…
Importantly, this is not an admonishment – note I’m suggesting you do this, not volunteering…
Good luck on yr ambitious/foolhardy goal!
Vina Moses donation center in Albany takes styrofoam and will even give you a donation receipt.
This was an easy one. Hope you get a following on this. I think its a good idea. *not much of an endorsement I’ll admit)
Hi, Mike.
FYI, you can dispose of styrofoam type material for free at the St. Vincent de Paul donation center, on the end of their store on Pacific Boulevard in Albany. I think it probably ends up going to Lane County’s recycling program. There’s a limit on how much St. Vinnie’s takes from you at one time, you can check that on their website.
Vina Moses donation center in Albany takes styrofoam and will even give you a donation receipt.