Epoc Messe Frankfurt said it has joined hands with Remax – Europe’s biggest trade fair for the recycling of printer materials and accessories – for the launch of their new trade fair, Paperworld Middle East.

As Europe’s biggest trade fair for printer-accessory recycling Remax focuses on a subject that is of increasing economic and ecological significance for the imaging segment.

Remax first began its relationship with Paperworld, the leading international platform in the stationery and office supplies sector, in January, 2010 in Frankfurt. This partnership will now expand to the Middle East, which represents an important sector in this new, but rapidly expanding business, said a top official.

Ahmed Pauwels, chief executive officer at Epoc Messe Frankfurt, said: 'We are looking forward to bringing the Paperworld brand to Dubai and the region. Currently we are working on securing key partnerships to ensure a successful launch in March next year.'

'Our partnership with Remax is a significant step for us and shows the confidence this well renowned and successful trade event has in the success of our new trade show,' he noted.

“As well as this, Remax represents an important standpoint for us as they believe in, and actively encourage recycling for a greener environment,' he added.

Pauwels said, 'Here at Epoc Messe Frankfurt we are environmentally aware and are exploring different channels in which to conduct greener business. For example we are partners with Sesam Business Consultants in delivering a series of conferences and training systems dedicated to environmentally friendly forms of buildings in the GCC.'

The printer-accessory recycling industry began about 25 years ago, and already has developed into a $6 billion to $8 billion industry. One third of toner cartridge sales worldwide are of remanufactured products and there is a growing number of recycled ink jet sales, the official said. 

According to him, the benefits of using recycled cartridges are manifold, with economic and environmental advantages the most dominant.

'The carbon footprint produced from a recycled cartridge is 60 per cent less than with the use of equivalent new OEM products,' he said.

It takes from 300 to 1,000 years to breakdown a wasted cartridge and twenty times more energy to make a new cartridge, than to use one that still has a useful life.  For these reasons Remax follows the adage of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’.

David Connett, managing director at Recycler Publishing & Events, the organisers of Remax, said: 'It makes every sense for us to partner with the new exhibition Paperworld Middle East to bring our event to the region. We had a very successful time at Paperworld in Frankfurt since we partnered with them and entering the Middle East market was always going to be one of our strategic moves.'

'We have already established strong relationships with some of the key players here, who are actively using remanufactured products for their imaging supplies. At Paperworld Middle East we will build on these relations and develop new ones, continually spreading awareness of the importance of this industry,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service