How to Recycle Printer Ink Cartridges

I'll admit it. I never used to think about tossing used printer ink cartridges in the trash. Until I read that, in the United States, they are thrown away at a rate of eight per second. That means that every minute, 480 cartridges are discarded. Every hour, 28,800 ink cartridges are pitched. Did you know that the weight of all the used printer ink cartridges that are discarded in our country is equal to the weight of 67,612 Ford Explorers or 112,463 Volkswagen Beetles? Those figures got me to thinking, and I decided to learn how to recycle my printer ink cartridges instead of adding them to the already-overflowing landfills.

Probably the easiest and most cost-effective way to recycle used printer cartridges is to refill and reuse them. These kits are easy to find at most anyplace you buy cartridges. Included in each one is black and/or colored inks, syringes, needles, gloves to protect your hands and instructions. The cost of the refill kits depend on the manufacturer, ink color and the amount of ink you get in a kit. By using refill kits for your printer, you not only save a bundle of money, but you don't have any cartridges to get rid of either.

The manufacturers of ink cartridges understand the problem with their products clogging up our landfills as well. For this reason, many companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Epson and Lexmark, just to name a few, offer their customers instructions about how they can recycle their printer ink cartridges. For detailed information about each recycling program, visit the individual website of the company who makes your printer ink. Some companies will even pay for the cost of shipping the cartridges to them.

Another way to recycle used printer ink cartridges is to take them to retailers such as Office Depot, OfficeMax or Staples. Some companies will simply accept the cartridges and recycle them as a free service to their customers. Others, however, may offer you a trade for your cartridge. Turn in your old cartridge, and you may get a free product, a store coupon or a discount on a new one.