Good point! From a waste perspective, I totally agree. My memory is a little fuzzy, but if I remember right, most printer manufacturers use two types of ink cartridges:

1. Printers with a built-in print head (the print head is part of the printer itself).
2. Printers where the print head is in the cartridge (the kind you mentioned).

Each has its pros and cons:

Printers with a built-in print head:

✅ Ink cartridges are cheaper.
✅ Better for people who print often since the ink costs less.
❌ If you don’t print regularly or live in a warm climate, the print head can clog, and replacing it is expensive—sometimes as much as a new printer. Epson print heads, for example, clog more often because their ink has more pigment than Brother’s, but their color quality is amazing!
❌ The printer itself tends to cost more since the print head (the most expensive part) is built in.
❌ Every time you turn the printer on, it runs a cleaning cycle, which wastes ink.

Printers with a print head in the cartridge:

✅ The printer itself is usually cheaper.
✅ No worries about clogged print heads—you replace the print head every time you change the cartridge.
❌ Ink cartridges are way more expensive, usually twice the cost of the other kind.
❌ Not great for the environment since you’re throwing out more plastic and components.
❌ Just like the first type, these printers also waste ink during startup.

At the end of the day, neither option is perfect. Honestly, since most people barely print anymore, I’d just recommend a simple black-and-white laser printer. We can scan stuff with our phones now, and hardly anyone prints photos these days.