Every year, millions of used printer cartridges end up in landfills where they add to already rampant pollution. Furthermore, these cartridges are not biodegradable and can take decades to break down. However, it doesn’t have to be that way, with another cartridge disposal option freely available: recycling.
It’s the Right Thing to Do
Although cartridges can and should be reused, the time will eventually come when you have to dispose of it and this is where the problem lies, as many people choose to simply throw it in the trash. It’s no exaggeration to say that doing this is the absolute worst approach in respect of both your finances and the environment at large, with many different companies and stores offering recycling facilities for printer cartridges, while some even offer a financial incentive for every cartridge recycled.
However, even if there is no recycling facility near you that is willing to pay you for your cartridges, recycling for free is still undoubtedly the right thing to do. This is seen as remanufacturing a cartridge, and uses up to 80% less energy than making a new one. HP’s recycling program alone boasts that it has kept the equivalent of 2.5 billion plastic bottles out of landfills since the program’s implementation in 1991. If that is not reason enough for you, there is also the added benefit that remanufactured cartridges are often less expensive than their newly made alternatives.
Saving the planet will ultimately be done through a series of small cumulative steps made by individuals, as opposed to sweeping reform, with the recycling of printer cartridges as good a place to start as any.