Why you should recycle printer ink cartridges

According to Toner Giant, only 30% of ink and toner cartridges are recycled worldwide. This is a sad statistic as recycling empty printer cartridges doesn’t require too much from a user but has a great impact on our planet.

As any other product that we use on a daily basis, cartridges may be dangerous for the environment due to the amount of plastic and different chemicals contained in them.

The good news is, 97% of the materials in an ink or toner cartridge could be recycled. This would save us so many resources such as oil and electricity used for new product manufacturing. Overall, proper ink cartridge disposal would significantly reduce CO2 emission, thus lowering our impact on the environment and holding back global warming.

So why don’t you recycle your old printer ink cartridges the next time you think about throwing them away? Oh, you don’t know where you can do that? Well, that’s why we are here: to give you advice on how to recycle printer ink cartridges in the best possible way.

What to do with old ink cartridges

There are several ways to get rid of ink cartridges and save the planet. We hope that this article will help you choose the one that fits you and your family, and we’ll make the world a better place together!

As soon as you decide to recycle used printer ink cartridges, you’ll find out that there are plenty of websites and physical stores willing to help you. All you have to do is either drop your cartridges off at a local shop or send them via mail.

Another thing you may do to avoid throwing away your cartridges is refill them. Though it is quite messy and difficult, this will allow you to use the same product twice or even three times. All you need to do is buy a refill kit suitable for your cartridge and be extra careful while pouring the ink. We do recommend you to use gloves and cover all the nearest surfaces before you start. 

Although refilling a cartridge may seem like a good solution, eventually, you will still face the necessity to recycle it. So let’s see where you can do that.

Where to recycle printer ink cartridges

First off, you may find a local office supply store that recycles printer cartridges and other similar waste. You may just search the web or ask a shop assistant if they would accept your cartridges, and eventually, you’ll succeed.

If you live in the US, you are quite lucky because most office supply chains give their visitors the possibility to take care of the environment. For instance, Office Depot and Staples have drop off stations at the entrance where you may dispose of your used ink cartridges.

Other popular stores like Walmart, Target, and Costco also provide convenient drop off bins that you may use anytime. The good thing is that you may take several recyclable objects from different categories and dispose of them all at once.

If you are looking for a place to recycle printer ink cartridges for cash, Office Depot, Staples, and other stores sometimes run suitable campaigns. They offer coupons and discounts to those who have brought cartridges or other items for recycling.

Also, you can visit Earth911.com and find the nearest recycling point in your area.

Another possible place to recycle your printer ink cartridges and make some money is online. You may sell them on eBay or use some specialized websites such as eCycle Group and Toner Buyer. Moreover, some major printer ink producers (e.g., HP) also may buy empty cartridges to use them in remanufacturing programs.

Buying a remanufactured cartridge is another way to show that you care about the environment. Such cartridges are the one that has once been used but then returned to the factory, cleaned thoroughly, and filled with fresh ink. When buying such products, you become a part of the recycling process and get high-quality printer ink for a lower price.

Post Scriptum

We hope that this article has shown you how to dispose of ink cartridges without polluting the environment.

At Smart Ink, we believe that recycling is an integral part of our lives these days. We want to preserve our planet and its natural resources, that’s why we produce and distribute remanufactured cartridges. 

So if you care about our planet, make a contribution, and buy a remanufactured cartridge next time you need printer ink!