Printer Cartridge Recycling And Refilling: Eco-friendly And Economical

Landfills receive million tons of printer ink and toner cartridges every year. These were thrown away by people who are not aware that cartridges can be recycled or refilled instead of dumping them in landfills. There are significant environmental reasons why everyone should recycle or reuse empty cartridges:

Recycling or refilling empty cartridges significantly reduce the volume of cartridges diverted to landfills. In the U.S. alone, a million tons of them are delivered to landfills annually. They are big threat to the environment as they release toxic substances that can contaminate soil, water, and air. Environmental contamination can continue for longer years since printer cartridges are non-biodegradable which means they cannot be decomposed like organic matter.

Both energy and natural resources are conserved if cartridges are reused. It is estimated that around two liters of oil is saved if a typical laser printer cartridge is remanufactured or refilled for reuse. Take note that oil is a non-renewable source of energy.

Besides oil, other materials that can be conserved include plastic, steel, aluminum, and rubber.

How to Recycle and Refill Printer Cartridges

If you want to recycle your cartridge, you can give them to companies that remanufacture cartridges. These companies will use your empty cartridge to make a new one. You can personally deliver the empty cartridge to their office or you can ship it to their address. There are companies that will send you shipping label for your cartridge after an online or telephone request. Depending on the condition or model of your cartridge, the companies can offer you rebates on your next purchase.

You can also look at recycling centers near your area that buy printer cartridges. Thus, instead of throwing your empty cartridge on the trash can, sell it and earn extra cash. In this way, you are not only earning money but also helping the environment.

Refilling cartridges is much more economical than replacing them. There are computer hardware stores that offer cartridge refilling. The price of refilling may vary depending on the model of your cartridge.

You can save more if you do the refilling yourself. You just need to buy a refill kit from a printing supply store. Then search the internet for useful articles and videos on how to properly refill your empty cartridge.

Eco-friendly Alternative: Buying Green Cartridges

If your cartridge is damaged, you may not be able to refill it. In this situation, the best thing to do is to buy a remanufactured cartridge, also known as green cartridge. It is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) cartridge that has been used but recycled and refilled with toner or ink. It is less expensive than brand new OEM cartridge but guaranteed to work just as effectively. Finding stores for remanufactured cartridges is easy as there are many competing online stores that sell them at reasonable prices. You should use coupon codes to save more.

By: Raymund Camat

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