We all need printers in our homes and offices, and since ink and toner cartridges are consumables, you should know what to do once they're empty. You certainly shouldn't throw your empty cartridges in the trash. Otherwise, you'll just add to already-overwhelmed landfills. In fact, according to Evolve Recycling, over 350 million ink cartridges are buried in our landfills every year. To avoid overfilling our landfills—and to be eco-friendlier—learn how to safely recycle ink and toner cartridges here.
Use a local recycling facility
Most townships and cities have recycling facilities that will properly recycle your printer ink cartridges for you. You can find a facility near you by searching your city's website, doing a quick Google search, or going to Earth911's website. If you don't have a recycling facility near you, don't fret—you still have plenty of options. Just keep reading.
Head to an office supply store
One of the easiest ways to get rid of your old cartridges is by stopping at a store such as Staples or Office Depot. Some big-name stores such as Costco, Target, and Best Buy also have recycling programs. In most cases, these stores have secure bins where you can simply drop your cartridges in and go about your day, which makes it very convenient. Little to no human contact involved—how is that for social distancing?
Donate to a nonprofit
If you're more of the charity type, plenty of nonprofits will give you some money as a thank-you for recycling. Some of the most common charities are Cartridges for Kids and Recycle4Charity. Both have great missions and integrity.
You can take recycling cartridges one step further by merely purchasing cartridges that are eco-friendly, to begin with, such as remanufactured cartridges. Here at 1ink.com, we make high-quality remanufactured ink and toner cartridges that are held to the same standard as the OEM brand-name cartridges. Whether you're looking for remanufactured Lexmark ink cartridges or any other brand, we have them all. Shop our inventory today!