Prasanna.ws

According to online consumer sources, almost 400 million empty toner cartridges are tossed into the garbage every year – in the United States alone. Because of the volatile chemicals inherent in the production process of these cartridges, not to mention the ink itself, this is terrible for the environment. Most of the cartridges that U.S. consumers use end up in landfills, not plants where they recycle – or worse, in incinerators that burn up the plastic and pollute our air. What to do?

First of all, you have to understand that some cartridges cannot even be recycled, due to the requirements of some toner cartridge recycling companies. If you are using a recycled cartridge already, they cannot usually be re-recycled, so keep this in mind. If you have a newer cartridge that requires recycling, ensure that your cartridge is in good condition, and this will help to ensure its “recycle-ability” much more.

In addition to being great for the environment, the recycling of toner cartridges can also earn you money – but not much. Don’t plan on making a get-rich scheme out of it, but you can earn a few extra dollars back – possibly enough to offset your shipping costs if you are ordering from an online retailer. However, some cartridges, depending on their type, can earn as much as $15.

To make an even bigger impact on the environment, you can involve others – coworkers, friends, employees, family members, etc. Tell them about your recycling “program”, which could just mean that you collect a bunch of old cartridges and send them for recycling all at once. You could make a bit more from this, although that shouldn’t be the main goal! Remember, when it comes to offsetting the horrible practices of putting cartridges in landfills, we have much work to do, so every little bit helps. Happy recycling!