When we talk about e-waste, the conversation often circles smartphones, laptops, and TVs. But there’s another side to this problem: cartridges, toners, and printer waste.
Now, here’s the thing. Not every country is equipped to deal with this challenge. Take the Sultanate of Oman, for example.
Oman generates around 1.7 million tonnes of waste every year. On average, that’s more than 1 kg per person, per day. Back in 2015, researchers noted that the country had no dedicated regulations or facilities to process e-waste. Instead, most of it went straight to municipal dumpsites and landfills.
Nearly a decade later, the importance of proper e-waste regulations has gained a lot of awareness. Oman’s Environment Authority and private players have started conversations around recycling. But large-scale, formal infrastructure, especially for complex items like printer cartridges still remains limited. Informal systems still dominate the market, and with them, valuable plastics and metals are lost while toxic residues seep into soil and groundwater.
But Oman is not the only such place. Many places, like Nepal, for instance, have no dedicated facility for printer cartridge recycling either. Local recyclers openly admit they refurbish what they can, store what they can’t, and have no proper system for dismantling toner or managing cartridge waste, risking many people’s lives.
And this is precisely why it is essential! Today, e-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream worldwide. And when countries rely only on landfills or informal channels, the long-term costs environmental, economic, and social are far greater than the short-term convenience.
Here’s what most people miss: without regulation, there’s no accountability. And without accountability, there’s no circular economy.
We’ve seen this play out in India. When the E-Waste Management Rules were amended in 2016, they forced individuals, institutions, and companies to take responsibility. The system wasn’t perfect, but it created space for solutions like RCube to come into existence, businesses built on the idea that cartridges aren’t disposable; they are recyclable.
What this really means is that e-waste isn’t just a problem. It’s an opportunity. Oman, Nepal, and many other countries still have the chance to skip outdated practices and leap straight into better, sustainable systems. With the right policies and partnerships, they can recover valuable resources, reduce imports, create jobs, and protect their communities.
At Rcube, our roots might have begun in India, but our branches are going to stretch across borders. Our goal is to contribute to the global conversation about how we can rethink waste and treat it better. Because closing the loop isn’t just about saving landfills, it’s about building a world where nothing valuable is lost and no community is left behind.
