Where Can I Take Used Toner Cartridges?

Over 375 million ink cartridges are found annually in landfill sites worldwide. That’s more than a million cartridges a day, or 11 every second of the day from sundown to sundown. A good amount of this waste is totally unnecessary. Printer ink cartridges are designed to be easily reused, and taking a few extra steps can help minimize waste, reduce your carbon footprint, and help boost your bottom line. Why throw away your empty cartridges of ink when you can recycle them.Recycling used printer cartridges helps you not only minimize waste, but contributes valuable components to be reused and refilled for remanufactured cartridges—a tested and true way to save money on your home or office printing. How do you get started?

eBay

The classic place to sell anything used cartridges is more than welcome on the eBay marketplace. It’s pretty easy to use, and even though the website looks a bit out of date, you still have a good chance of selling those unwanted cartridges. Just post some photos of your item in good condition and plug in the ad to make sure people know exactly what you’re selling. These specifications should include things like model number, color and brand. The pro tip is to try selling bulk to get around constant shipping costs but selling one at a time still works either way.

Rewards Programs

Popular office supply stores like Office Depot and Staples encourage people to donate their used cartridges to store credit for their next purchase. You can turn as many as 10 (or sometimes more) at a time, so check with your office supply store to be sure. It’s easy to send in your used cartridges; just head over to the store and hand it over to the registry assistant, or you can also request an online shipping label. Once the cartridges have been received, you’ll get the money credited to your account for your next purchase. This is a great option for people who might want to stick to familiar brands while saving the planet.

Manufacture Take-backs

Companies like Brother, Lexmark, Dell and Canon offer their customers the opportunity to recycle their toner cartridges for free. You can ask for an online shipping label and mail in those empty cartridges. Companies only accept OEM cartridges, and even though they don’t offer any cash back options, you’ll feel loads better knowing that you’re saving the landfills from being overloaded. Even the warehouse club Super Store Costco offers its customers the option to mail or drop in their empty cartridges, so check with your local store just in case.

Buy and Sell Apps

Go apps like LetGo and Offerup are two alternatives to eBay and Craigslist that make selling your online items feel like a breeze. Just download the app, upload your photos to the site’s marketplace, and wait for potential buyers to get there. Users can list their items for free and have the option of being a specific location when selling their item. Empty toner cartridges are regular items for sale so be sure to check out some of the ads you see to know how to change yours to attract buyers.

Buy-Back Companies

These companies buy your used cartridges and pay well for them most of the time. A great option for schools to encourage children to take care of their environment, buy-back sites pay for large amounts of recyclable empty toner cartridges. For example, Cartridges for Kids and FundingFactory are paying cash to schools and organizations looking to get rid of their unwanted used cartridges. They offer free shipping and, ultimately, a new stream of money to these establishments. Other buy back sites include NeedEmpty and UsRecycleInk, which offer competitive prices and free shipping.Many of these companies advise customers to box their cartridges well and be sure their padding is efficient because if the cartridge is damaged during shipping, then there’s no deal.

Craigslist

Almost anything could be sold off Craigslist, from used cars to toner cartridges. You can be a specific location and limit your mail to just the people in your area. This makes it easier to avoid shipping costs and deal with a real person instead of a system. The biggest downside is the common knowledge that you can’t trust everyone on the Craigslist. Therefore, be careful with whom you share your personal and location-specific information.