Three Ways to Recycle Your Ink Cartridges

Toner ink cartridges can be a very costly purchase, no matter if they are used for business, recreational use or educational purposes. But have you ever wondered what happens to those ink cartridges after they are empty and you throw them away?

They sit in a landfill and take hundreds of years to decompose. Luckily, many office equipment companies and printer toner companies have started investing in ways to make their products and industrial practices more environmentally friendly.

For example, HP has recycle more than 250 million HP print cartridges worldwide ever since they implemented their HP Planet Partners program in 1991. Printing equipment companies have also redesigned how their products are made and improved their efficiency use. HP LaserJet Dual packs allow people to save up to 37% more printer toner while enjoying three times the print volume over standard cartridges.

Companies like HP are doing their part, but you can also help the cause and recycle your toner cartridges. Here are three different ways to recycle toner ink cartridges:

• Donate to Charity You will find that libraries, schools, and churches will all accept empt ink cartridges. Donating these to charity helps benefit the organization because they receive money once they return them to the original stores or companies. Make sure to decide who you want to donate your cartridges to by looking online. Also ask if you should send them directly to the organization or if they will accept empties via mail.
• Send Them Back One of the easiest ways to recycle your ink cartridges is to simply return them to the store you originally bought them from. Most of these stores will even sell toner cartridge refills to customers who want to reuse their old ones. Find and online or local store that accepts your empty cartridges — some example are big name office supply stores such as Staples.
• Sell Them Didn’t think you could make cash from your own trash? Selling used toner ink cartridges has become a very common occurrence these days. Look online for organizations or even individuals who will accept used cartridges in exchange for money. Some sites even offer pre-paid, free shipping for your used cartridges and may pay up to $4 per unit!