Printer Cartridges Alternative ways to recycle Special Instructions Printer Cartridges are no longer accepted at the HHW Facility. They are accepted at the EL Cerrito Recycling + Enviromental Resource Center: Toner / Laser / Inkjet cartridges (OEM only) SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS Ink and toner cartridges should be taken back to retail locations such as Staples, Office Depot, or Office Maxx for free recycling. Participate in a Takeback Program Companies such as Staples, Xerox, Samsung and HP offer free takeback programs to recycle used printer cartridges. Alternative Ways to Recycle Sell to Cartridges for Kids If you are an administrator or teacher, or involved with a non-profit organization, Cartridges for Kids will pay for and recycle your used cartridges. They accept laser and inkjet cartridges, and they provide free labels. Staples Take Back Program Staples accepts ink and toner cartridges for recycling both online and at their store locations. Find out how to return cartridges to Staples. Ways to Reduce Buy Printers That Use Cartridge-Free Ink Some companies, like Xerox, now make printers that use cartridge-free solid ink, which creates up to 90% less waste and uses 30% less energy than cartridges. Leave Your Inkjet Printer On Leaving your printer on at all times will avoid starting an ink-wasting maintenance cycle. According to an interview Canon did with Consumer Reports, if you turn the printer off “it may do a longer clean.” Even though they are consuming energy when on, inkjets consume very little power when they’re not being used. Print in Draft Mode If you’re not working on something important, print in draft mode, which reduces the amount of ink that is used. Avoid Large Photos Large photos, especially those printed in high-quality mode, use up the most ink, so avoid printing those whenever possible. Choose Laser Printers for B&W It’s a good idea to use a laser printer for black and white printing jobs since laser printers don’t use maintenance ink and are great at printing out text. Did You Know? The Cheaper the Printer, the More Expensive the Ink It’s no secret that while you can get a printer for really cheap, the ink is really expensive, and it’s nearly impossible to get away with using an “unofficial” printer cartridge. This is no accident: printer companies like HP have argued that it’s costly for them to research and develop the ink. Consumer Reports and eBay have great articles on how to save money and buy eco-friendly printers, respectively. Your Printer May Be Wasting Ink
