As an undergraduate student, Scott Kindorf was frustrated with the high costs of buying new ink cartridges for his printer. After graduating, he used that frustration as a motivation to open Back in Business Cartridges, Inc. (BIBC) in February, providing the Champaign-Urbana area with a low-cost, environmentally conscious alternative.

Nestled between Murphy’s Pub and the Busey Bank Automated Teller Machine at 602 E. Green Street, BIBC sells compatible and remanufactured computer printer cartridges and other printer essentials at a fraction of the cost offered in most retail stores.

Compatible cartridges are not made by the original manufacturer of each printer, but by other companies and sold at 30 to 50 percent less than the manufacturer’s price. Remanufactured cartridges are original cartridges that have been cleaned, rebuilt and refilled. Instead of paying full price for a new ink cartridge, customers can refill their cartridges at a lower cost, saving as much as 75 percent, according to the BIBC Web site.

BIBC offers on-the-spot refilling service for popular Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark and Dell ink cartridges, boasting 100 percent product guarantee and free next-day delivery service.

Kyle Kurasek, store manager and University alumnus, said Dell customers especially appreciate their services.

“Normally, Dell has a bit of a monopoly because customers can only order cartridges on the Dell Web site,” Kurasek explained. “They would have to wait for days to get them, so they get excited knowing they can stop in and get their cartridges refilled here without the wait and at a lower price.”

Kindorf, one of four co-owners and a University graduate student, said refilling cartridges is also environmentally friendly. According to the BIBC Web site, an estimated 400 million empty inkjet printer cartridges end up in landfills worldwide.

“Instead of throwing out cartridges, we recycle them,” Kindorf said.

Kurasek said the refilling service they provide is backed by the latest technology used to clean, evacuate and fill each cartridge.

“Our operation revolves around three central machines,” he said.

Each cartridge is initially steam-cleaned to remove any dried up ink, then injected with a cleaning solution before it is spun in a centrifuge machine that removes the remaining ink. The cartridge then enters an ultrasonic cleaner that loosens and washes away remaining ink particles. Afterward, the cartridge is ready to be filled.

“After the cartridges are filled, we test it out in our printers to make sure it is working properly,” Kurasek said. “The process takes about five minutes.”

Kurasek added that refill prices range from $9.99 to $14.99, depending on the printer. If a cartridge can’t be refilled, a compatible one can be used, ranging from $4.95 to $21.95.

“We understand students are a price-conscious market,” Kindorf said. “We’re trying to give them a reliable alternative.”

Kurasek added that businesses could also benefit from the reduced prices.

Patrick Murphy, real estate agent at RE/MAX Realty Associates, said he appreciates the cost effectiveness BIBC offers.

“As a real estate agent, I am responsible for personal and work printouts,” Murphy said. “Since switching to refilling my cartridges, I save about half of what I used to pay.”

Murphy also said the free delivery service was just an extra incentive.

“I like the fact that I can place the order on the phone, and it will be delivered the next day,” he said. “It’s convenient and easily accessible.”

Kurasek said the basic goal is to help customers to not miss a step in their printing, a goal that inspired the name of the store.

“When you work on a document, sometimes you run out of ink,” Kurasek said. “But once you get it refilled, you’re back in business.”