Last updated 19:28, Thursday, 27 November 2008

WORKINGTON’S Cartridge World store has opened its doors with a vow to make a “green” impact on the area.

CARTRIDGE WORLD: Roy Mathisen, left, and Darren Parker

As West Cumbria’s only branch of the worldwide franchise, the cartridge refill business is already enjoying a successful few weeks of trading.

Its “refill not landfill” slogan promotes a green message, and with its opening coinciding with National Tree Week the store has promised to plant a tree for every 25 cartridges refilled.

Roy Mathisen, director of the Puddle Road store, said: “Businesses, schools or individuals can get involved with the scheme and have a tree planted anywhere they like for every 25 cartridges they refill.

“It runs for the duration of National Tree Week which ends December 7 and it’s promoting a green message which is an essential aspect behind Cartridge World.”

The store, which took four weeks to set up, not only refills cartridges but stocks printing products, and the coming months will see a new refill laser-jet service.

Roy said: “The aim of this business was to provide a service for people where they could save money refilling their cartridges but still use top quality products.

“Our ink is produced by the same company which produces ink for Hewlett Packard and if a picture tells a thousand words then it’s obvious people will want to use a top quality ink.

“We have in-store cartridge testing equipment so we ensure our products are up to the highest standard possible.

“It was always a bugbear of mine that I was paying as much for the cartridges as I had for the printer, so I went to Cartridge World with the idea to set up a store and was told that West Cumbria was a vacant territory.”

The shop, with its base in the town’s industrial area, is becoming a destination store with easy parking for customers.

Roy said: “With myself and Darren Parker, the store manager, both here we can consider developing and expanding the business in the future.”