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Back in February, I traveled from the US to Europe for what was a deeply sustainability-driven week. It began in Frankfurt, Germany at Remanexpo—where conversations around supply chain resilience, lifecycle extension, and product stewardship were inescapable. It was within the context of those conversations that then I ventured to Slovakia to visit Brother’s European remanufacturing facility nestled in the serene countryside of Krupina.
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Kris Alvarez, Peter Mayhew, and Todd Curtis of Keypoint Intelligence outside BISK with
Factory Director David Lawrence and General Manager Norbert Rétsán |
Working Towards Economic Rejuvenation in Rural Slovakia
Brother Industries (Slovakia) s.r.o. (BISK) employs several hundred people, providing significant employment opportunities in a location that has historically struggled with regional employment disparities. When the facility opened in 2007, Slovakia was still grappling with a recovering economy and unemployment rates peaking at roughly 15% in March 2010. Over time, though, Slovakia’s unemployment rate has steadily declined, reaching a record low of approximately 5% in February 2025. While it’s difficult to isolate the direct impact of BISK’s presence on these figures, its establishment along with similar foreign investments has likely contributed to the country’s economic stability and job creation.
An Operation Built on Circularity
BISK specializes in remanufacturing toner cartridges collected through Brother’s free cartridge return program. Each returned cartridge undergoes a demanding inspection process where components suitable for reuse are disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled. The facility is Blue Angel DE-UZ 177 certified for remanufactured toner cartridges, showing that Brother’s remanufactured cartridges meet stringent environmental and performance standards—including the reuse of at least 75% of the cartridge's weight. In fact, 80% of the original cartridge material is reused, and the remaining 20% is recycled into other Brother products.
The complex is also carbon-neutral certified, which was achieved in 2022 under the PAS 2060 standard. The plant utilizes renewable energy sources including solar panels and a geothermal exchange system, helping reduced CO₂ emissions and aligning with Brother’s Environmental Vision 2050 to achieve zero CO₂ emissions from business operations by 2050.
A Tour Through Precision and Purpose
Our tour began with a brief history of the facility followed by a look at the collection and sorting area. Here, returned cartridges are inspected and categorized based on their condition. (Rest assured, nothing goes to waste.) Brother’s goal is to achieve zero waste to landfill from this facility—a goal they have impressively maintained for several years running. The sorting area even sometimes sees return cartridges come back through for their second round of remanufacturing.
One standout feature of the remanufacturing process is human intervention. While automation plays a role, much of the remanufacturing process relies on the work of skilled technicians who dismantle, clean, and reassemble cartridges by hand. This synergy and level of craftsmanship ensures quality control remains high and that each remanufactured cartridge meets the same quality standards as a new cartridge. Plus, you can see that each employee takes pride in their work, and there’s a strong sense of purpose among the team.
Beyond the environmental achievements, BISK plays a pivotal role in Brother’s global remanufacturing efforts. The Brother Group has remanufactured over 40 million toner cartridges globally since the inception of its toner remanufacturing initiative in 2004, with the Krupina plant contributing with approximately 3 million cartridges annually.
Keypoint Intelligence Opinion
Over the years, Keypoint Intelligence has had the privilege of touring numerous remanufacturing and sustainability-focused facilities operated by leading OEMs, including Brother’s Wrexham site in the UK and Canon’s operations in Virginia, US and Giessen, Germany. Each visit has helped paint a picture of where the imaging and printing industry is, as well as the direction in which we can expect to see it move:
- Decentralized Circular Hubs: OEMs are increasingly investing in regional remanufacturing centers to reduce transportation emissions, improve turnaround time, and support local economies.
- Designing for Reuse: OEMs are pointing to a future where entire product lines are developed with remanufacturing in mind—an approach we’ve already started to see but can expect to see adopted more broadly across the industry going forward.
- Blending Human Craft and Automation: From Brother’s Wrexham and Krupina teams to Canon’s trained technicians in Virginia, there’s a consistent reliance on skilled labor supported by automation (and not replaced by it).
- Certification and Compliance as Differentiators: Earning third party certifications like Blue Angel or meeting PAS 2060 (carbon neutrality), or even EPEAT’s Climate+ designation is becoming the benchmark for credibility in sustainability claims.
To further support industry players navigating this shift toward circularity, Keypoint Intelligence now offers two in-depth certification programs.
The Remanufactured/Refurbished Facility Certification Program provides a facility-level accreditation based on rigorous multi-phase testing of up to 10 engine families. Assessments include rebuild quality, reliability, security (including data erasure verification), and image quality—ensuring that refurbished MFPs and printers meet high standards across usability and performance.
Meanwhile, the Remanufactured Supplies Testing Program certifies toner cartridges based on OEM yield benchmarking, business-grade image quality, and strict reliability thresholds (such as a <2% DOA rate). Both programs include annual audits and spot checks to ensure ongoing compliance. As regulations intensify and buyers demand proven environmental performance, these certifications offer vendors a credible, third party distinction—building trust; elevating brand value; and supporting environmental, social, and governance-aligned procurement in a sustainability-first future.
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