Published on February 10, 2023, Updated on February 12, 2023
Every year, more than 375 million empty ink and toner cartridges end up in landfills. Up to 97% of the parts that make up printer cartridges can be recycled or used again, which is good for the environment. With remanufactured or compatible toner cartridges, the amount of oil used per cartridge drops from 3/4 liters to almost NONE! About 11 million gallons of oil in 7 months would be saved if everyone recycled their old printer cartridges. This makes it more important than ever to recycle old printer cartridges the right way.
4 Easy Tips to Recycle Old Printer Cartridges
It is important to get rid of old printer cartridges in a safe way. The world would be a lot better if everyone did their part to help the environment. Fortunately, there are many easy ways to recycle old printer cartridges.
1. Drop them off at the office supply store near you.
Many stores that sell office supplies will be happy to take back your used or empty printer cartridges. If you live near an office supply store, check its website to see if it takes old printer cartridges. Most stores will recycle them right away.
2. Refill your original ink cartridges.
If you only used an original brand ink cartridge once, there is a good chance that you can refill it and use it again with the right ink refill kit. Most refill kits come with a bottle of ink, a syringe, a screw tool, a pair of plastic gloves, and instructions on how to refill. To refill, you will have to put the right amount of ink into the cartridge by hand. Once the cartridge is full, you should be able to use it again and print as you normally would. Make sure the refill kit you bought is for your specific cartridge series. The instructions for refilling and the amount of ink each cartridge can hold vary by brand and cartridge type. Keep in mind that you can only refill ink cartridges a few times. At some point, the quality of your prints will start to go down, and you’ll need to buy a brand-new ink cartridge.
3. Check with the company that made your printer to see if they have a recycling program.
Most companies have programs for recycling their products, so it’s worth asking if they’ll take your old printer cartridges.
4. Find a recycling center near you.
You can find places to recycle a lot easier than you might think.
With so many options that are good for the environment, recycling your old printer cartridges can become second nature. Teach other people how important and easy recycling is. By working together to get rid of your old printer cartridges in the right way, we can keep a lot of cartridges from going to landfill and reduce our carbon footprint as a whole.
Recycling your old printer cartridges, as well as your old computers, monitors, printers, and other office equipment is good for the environment. 1 Green Planet recycles a variety of hazardous medical wastes in a secure manner. Call them now to schedule a pickup from the location areas we serve.
