Technology

Los Angeles aims to ban single-use printer cartridges — new ordinance will target ink and toner that can't be properly recycled

Source

Tom's Hardware

Published

Jan 29, 2026

TL;DR

AI Generated

The city of Los Angeles is planning to ban single-use printer cartridges that can't be refilled or recycled effectively. The ordinance aims to address the environmental impact of these cartridges, which are often made of materials that are hard to dispose of properly. The ban targets cartridges that violate copyright laws or infringe on intellectual property rights, as well as counterfeit options that flood the market. The law is focused on reducing unnecessary waste caused by printer cartridges and still needs full approval before implementation.

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$20,000 in 32GB RAM sticks saved from the dumpster are now worth a fortune — seventy-two DDR4-2666 ECC RDIMMs were about to turn into e-waste

An employee rescued 72 DDR4-2666 ECC RDIMMs from being discarded after their company upgraded servers in 2024, valued at over $20,000 now. These RAM sticks were about to become e-waste before being saved. The Reddit poster's father salvaged the components, which are not supported by consumer-grade hardware but require server and HEDT motherboards and specific CPUs. Despite not being usable for personal upgrades, the RAM sticks could fetch a significant sum on the used market due to their high value.

Tom's Hardware•

1 week ago

Is carbon removal in trouble?

Microsoft, a major player in the carbon removal market, has reportedly paused its carbon removal purchases, causing concern in the industry. Carbon removal technologies aim to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for permanent storage. Microsoft, which aims to become carbon-negative by 2030, has been a significant buyer of carbon removal contracts. The company's decision to pause purchases may impact the industry's growth and reliance on corporate support. Industry experts suggest that government mandates and policies are needed to ensure the scalability of carbon removal efforts.

MIT Technology Review•

2 weeks ago

MIT Technology Review

The quest to measure our relationship with nature

The United Nations is working on a Nature Relationship Index (NRI) to measure how well countries interact with the natural world. The NRI aims to shift the narrative from humans being destroyers of nature to fostering a green, abundant world. The index will assess three key questions: whether nature is thriving and accessible, if it is being used with care, and if it is safeguarded. The NRI will debut alongside the 2026 Human Development Report, encouraging countries to compete and improve their scores. The goal is to engage people's hopes and dreams for a better relationship with nature.

MIT Technology Review•

2 weeks ago

Amazon, Microsoft, and Google under investor pressure to disclose site-specific data center water and power consumption — more than a dozen shareholders ask for transparency ahead of annual investor meetings

Investors are urging Amazon, Microsoft, and Google to disclose detailed data on water and energy consumption at their U.S. data centers, with concerns about environmental impact and community opposition. Trillium Asset Management filed a resolution with Alphabet seeking clarity on its climate goals, as emissions have risen despite pledges to reduce them. Water usage in AI data centers is a significant concern, with estimates indicating high water consumption for tasks like generating text with AI models. While some progress has been made with closed-loop cooling systems, investors are pushing for more transparency to assess operational risks accurately.