What Can I Do with Empty HP and Canon Ink Cartridges?
In the past few decades, the amount of office equipment and home electronics that were not sold in bulk has increased dramatically. With the rise of new technologies, there comes a greater risk that vital parts of electronic devices might end up in landfill. Printer ink cartridges are one type that seems to get overlooked, but recycling them can have a big, positive impact on our environment. Toner cartridges and inkjet cartridges are household must-haves, but when you run out of ink or toner, they become plastic junk pieces that seem easy enough to toss in the trash. Over 20 thousand pieces of plastic waste are sent to landfills every hour in the U.S. Reduce your carbon footprint by recycling printer ink cartridges can make a difference.
Why Should we Recycle Printer Ink Cartridges?
Most people throw away ink and toner cartridges because they don’t know how or where to recycle them or because they simply don’t realize that they can be recycled at all. These cartridges use a lot of raw materials, 3.5 liters of oil on average for every new cartridge, which is lost forever if the cartridges are thrown away. Here are a few reasons why you should recycle printer ink cartridges:
- Environmental Impact
Here is an astonishing figure, printer cartridges can take up to 1,000 years to break down while leaching toxins into the ground, polluting the soil and ground water. Recycling your cartridges can reduce air and water pollution and save energy. Printer cartridge remanufacturers take the used cartridges and extend their lifecycle while reducing the amount of energy and fossil fuels needed to produce new built cartridges. We're all starting to wake up to the need to do our part for the planet – this is one small change that can make a big difference.
- Economic Impact
The government is looking to cut the amount of waste sent to landfills and building up circular economies that can turn waste into raw materials that can be used again in new products. Recycling creates jobs and helps the government cut costs in managing landfills.
How are Ink Cartridges Recycled?
The most common way to recycle ink cartridges is by remanufacturing them. This is when you clean, rebuild, refill, and print test the cartridges to meet the original printer cartridge manufacturer specifications. Cleaning involves emptying excess ink from the cartridge and rinsing it with water. Rebuilding is when you replace parts or components needed to make the cartridge work again. The refilling process involves filling the cartridges with the ink of comparable quality. Testing involves print testing each cartridge to make sure they are working in order.
Remanufactured cartridges offer consumers more affordable and environmentally friendly options for printing over name-brand cartridges and imported aftermarket compatibles.
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Where can I Recycle My Used cartridges?
Here at DoorStepInk.com, we offer a free and convenient mail-in recycling service. You can request a free shipping label from the website and send in 4 or more of your cartridges.
Recycle Used Printer Ink by mail for Free
DoorStepInk makes it easy to recycle your printer ink cartridges through the mail. First, visit DoorStepInk's mail-in recycling page and complete the free shipping label form. Then follow the instructions to pack up your used printer ink, we will email you a USPS shipping label and you just pop them in the mail.
Can I Get Money Back with Recycling Empty Ink Cartridges?
When you recycle your used printer ink cartridges with DoorStepInk, as a thank you, you will receive a coupon code to receive a discount on your next purchase of any DoorStepInk Ink and Toner Cartridges. The more you buy and recycle at DoorStepInk the more you save on printing costs for your Personal or Business use!
If you are interested in raising money for a particular cause, for your school, or non-profit we do have an ink cartridges fundraising program called Planet Green Recycle. To learn more about this program you can access information through the DoorStepInk.com website under Planet Green Recycle.
If you are a business, recycler, or electronic waste company that accumulates a lot of printer cartridges and is looking to recycle please contact us about our recycling services at 800-377-1093
