Recycling Printer Cartridges

It is estimated that there are around 70 million printer cartridges sold in the UK each year.  As the number of households owning a computer increases on a yearly basis, the number of printer cartridges used will also increase.  Although there are many companies and charities involved in recycling printer cartridges, currently only 15% of printer cartridges are actually recycled, with the rest being disposed of at landfill sites. 

With regards to businesses, disposing of printer cartridges within general waste containers is no longer an option.  This is because since July 2005, empty printer cartridges have been reclassified as hazardous waste, and therefore must be dealt with accordingly. 

Rather than disposing of your used printer cartridges, you may in fact be able to sell them.  There are a number of companies that purchase used printer cartridges, refill them with ink and then sell on the remanufactured printer cartridges.  The value of your empty printer cartridges will vary depending on the make and model, but it is important that the printer cartridges are not damaged as this may prevent them from being recyclable. 

As well as being able to sell your old printer cartridges, there are also a number of organisations that recycle printer cartridges to raise money for various worthwhile charities.  These organisation often provide freepost envelopes for you to post your empty printer cartridges.  If you have a large quantity of printer cartridges, many of them will also provide a courier service to collect them from you free of charge.  

Disposing of empty printer cartridges really should be a last resort.  As explained above there are plenty of options available to recycle and reuse printer cartridges.  In some cases it can generate money for yourself, in other cases it can generate money for charity.  Either way it is very beneficial for the environment and prevents items that can easily be recycled and reused from ending up in landfill sites.