Sounds so simple. Take plastic, crush, make new plastic. But it actually involves some new engineering technology. HP just announced that it is using recycled plastics gathered from water bottles, recycled inkjet cartridges, and other materials to create new ink cartridges made from 100% recyclable plastics.

The company says that more than 200 million cartridges have been manufactured using the process thus far, adding that HP used more than five million pounds of recycled plastic in its inkjet cartridges last year and wants to double that in 2008.

According to Scott Canonico, manager of Environmental Policy and Strategy for HP Supplies, there are numerous challenges that make this recycling operation no mean feat. The thermal, chemical, and mechanical stresses inside an ink cartridge are hefty, making it difficult to engineer the right plastic. HP developed a process in which returned HP inkjet cartridges are reduced to raw materials and combined with recycled bottle resin.

Sadly, you won't even know that you've been virtuous. HP is not labeling these cartridges as "recycled materials" nor is there any price differential for going green. Good engineering; needs work on the marketing.

For more information on HP's recycling for consumers.