What is the white polystyrene underneath cartridge bay?

[Koalabear1]

 Hello, I have a new HP Envy Photo 6220 printer which I unpackaged and used for the first time today so I'm just getting used to it.

I notice there is what looks like white polstyrene strips underneath where the printer cartridges are loaded inside the machine. 

There is nothing in the instructions about them. I have not removed them and am using the printer with the cartridges in, and everything is working fine, but I just wondered what they were? 

There is no obvious way to remove them, so are they there underneath the cartridges to soak up ink residue or for some other reason?

I enclose a photo of the white strips inside the printer.

Thanks 

😀

[Valsimot · Accepted solution]

Those are absorbing pads for waste ink, they are supposed to be there, and with time they will be covered in waste ink that's normal.

[Koalabear1]

Thanks, I wondered if they were something like that, but thought I'd better check.

While I'm here I have another question: 

On this model of printer do you know how much A4 paper I can store in the very bottom paper tray? I thought it would say in the instructions. There is a diagram in the back of the booklet which shows you how to put the paper in, but doesn't say how much paper.

😀

[Valsimot]

You can load up to 125 sheets of plain paper.

[Koalabear1]

Wow! 125 sheets is a lot.

Thank you for your help.

😀