HP's recent firmware update blocking third-party ink cartridges has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups. The International Imaging Technology Council (Int'l ITC) called out HP's January 2026 firmware rollout across eleven printer models as undermining sustainability claims. The update, which includes models like the nearly nine-year-old OfficeJet Pro 7720, appears designed to force customers toward HP's more expensive proprietary cartridges.

This controversy comes as HP's printers face potential exclusion from the new EPEAT 2.0 environmental registry. While EPEAT 2.0 requires manufacturers to offer remanufactured cartridges for registered products, none of the 163 EPEAT 2.0 products are currently printers. The International Trade Commission expressed skepticism that HP will voluntarily comply with these new environmental standards, especially given its recent firmware actions.

The Int'l ITC specifically targeted HP because it's the only major printer manufacturer using firmware to trigger lockout chips, claiming security as justification. The group previously tried to remove HP printers from the original EPEAT registry over Dynamic Security technology but was denied. HP's actions have frustrated customers who prefer environmentally superior third-party cartridges but find them blocked by what critics call profit-driven tactics.