America Recycles Day, November 15, 2019

Posted by Jamie Stewart on 11/15/2019

Want to make the world a better place? Get on board with America Recycles Day this November 15!

Recycling Begins With You

Every year, 375 million ink and toner cartridges end up in landfills or incinerators. The type of plastic used can take over 450 years to decompose, and the cartridges can leak and cause harm to the surrounding environment.

This amount and type of waste can be reduced through recycling and reuse, but that step starts with you, the consumer!

How To Recycle Your Printer Cartridges

There are different ways to recycle your used ink and toner cartridges.

Manufacturer Lead Recycle Programs
Mail-in Recycle Programs
Office Supply Stores Recycle Programs

Manufacturer Lead Programs

These programs are created by the printer and cartridge manufacturers themselves. Most major manufacturers offer free take-back programs and some even cover the cost of postage for you to mail them back. Click below to learn more about the printer cartridge recycling programs of specific printer manufacturers.

Mail-in Recycle Programs

There are also non-manufacturer mail-back programs. Some companies give you pre-paid mailing labels and even offer you cash back for your empty cartridges. It’s also easy to donate that money to a worthy cause. You can find out more at:

Office Supplies Retailers

If neither of those options suits your fancy, you can always visit your nearest office supplies store to inquire about their own cartridge recycling program. Some major retailers, such as Walgreens, can refill your empty cartridges. You can also turn in your empty printer cartridges for recycling at almost any Staples, Office Depot, or other major office supply stores.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

Each one of these options has pros and cons, but they all share one goal in common: reduce, reuse and recycle! By working together, we can keep empty printer cartridges out of our oceans and landfills!