Recycle Ink Cartridges

If you're environmentally minded and are a user of a personal computer, you have probably wondered whether or not there are ways to recycle ink cartridges. If you do a lot of printing on an ink jet printer, you know how quickly ink cartridges get used up. Multiply all those cartridges by the millions of other computer users out there and it quickly becomes apparent that this is a significant amount of ink, and it has to end up somewhere. There are many reasons why you should recycle ink cartridges as opposed to throwing them away. This article will take a look at why it is important to dispose of this waste in a responsible manner and will then give you some advice on how to go about doing just that.

There are many reasons why ink cartridges should be recycled.

• The number one reason why it is essential that people recycle ink cartridges is that there are an awful lot of them floating around out there. Some estimates suggest that thirteen cartridges are thrown away in the United States every second! That is an astronomical amount of waste that is being added to our landfills. With more and more computers and printers hitting the market every day, these numbers aren't going to decline anytime soon.
• Some ink in cartridges contains hazardous materials that should not be disposed of in traditional ways. In addition, the plastic in the cartridges could take one thousand years or more to decompose, so whatever you throw away is sure to be around for a long, long time.
• The best reason to recycle ink cartridges might be simply because you can. There is no reason why a cartridge can only be used once. If you recycle it responsibly, it can be refilled and reused many, many times. Recycling is a responsible practice that computer users should engage in because it makes sense on so many levels and really isn't much harder than throwing the cartridges away in the garbage bin.

You might be surprised at how many ways there are to recycle your used cartridges. Some programs even pay cash for certain brands! Depending on where you live and what kind of printer you have, some of these options might work out better for you than others. Check out all of them so you can make an informed decision on the best way to responsibly retire your old ink cartridges.

Most retail stores that sell office supplies have some sort of recycling program for ink cartridges. Check to see if your local store has one.

• Staples – One of the largest office supply chains on the country, Staples offers a great recycling plan. They provide a three-dollar in-store credit for each HP, Lexmark, or Dell cartridge that gets returned to the store.

• Office Depot – The other big office supply chain Office Depot has a program very similar to Staples in that it offers a three-dollar in-store credit for every HP, Lexmark, Dell, and Office Depot brand cartridge that is returned to the store.

Some companies pay cash for certain ink cartridges, which is a great way to offset the relatively high cost of buying new ink.

• Castle Ink – Castle Ink pays four-dollars for some ink cartridges. Visit this site to see if your printer uses the kind that they will buy back from you.

• Free Recycling – Free Recycling is another company that pays you for certain needed cartridges. Check this site to see if the brand you buy qualifies.

Recycling ink cartridges is a great way to support your favorite charity. Check out these links to learn how you can help others while you help the environment.

• Recycle 4 Charities – If you are interested in helping others, there are many charities that will take your old cartridges and use the money they receive from recycling them. This link is one such program that benefits Habitat for Humanity, The Smile Train, and many other worthy charities.

• Recycling For Charities – Recycling For Charities is another great organization that takes your used ink cartridges and turns them into valuable cash that charities can use to continue their good works.

There are plenty of options available to computer users who would like to reduce their [[What is a carbon footprint. You can even make a little money or help out someone in need in the process!

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• Category:Recycling