Have you ever wondered what to do with empty ink cartridges? Australians throw away over 18 million cartridges every year, resulting in more than 5,000 tonnes of landfill waste.
Ink cartridges are made from plastic and metal, which don’t decompose easily and can take thousands of years to break down. Used printer cartridges also contain remnants of ink, which can be harmful to the environment if not disposed of properly.
The good news is that there are many ways you can recycle your old ink cartridges to reduce your impact on the environment.
1. Contact Your Local Council
Many councils offer e-waste recycling services for households and local businesses. Contact your local council to find out more about what services are available in your area.
2. Drop Off Your Cartridges at Officeworks
The Cartridges 4 Planet Ark recycling program accepts all brands of empty laser and inkjet cartridges. Simply drop them off at the box in any Officeworks store, and Planet Ark will recycle them for you.
The Planet Ark toner and printer cartridge recycling program runs in partnership with several major printer brands, including Brother, Canon, HP, and Kyocera.
You can also find Planet Ark recycling boxes at participating branches of Australia Post, Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, Office National, and The Good Guys.
3. Book a Printer Cartridge Pickup With Close the Loop
Close the Loop is a sustainability solutions provider that offers printer cartridge and battery take-back and recycling programs for businesses across Australia.
Once your business is registered with Close the Loop, you can book a pickup straight from your office. Next, your cartridges will be recycled into new products such as pens and road surfacing materials.
4. Post Your Used Cartridges With the TechCollect Service
You can now mail your old printer cartridges for recycling along with old mobile phones, computer accessories, and other e-waste.
Australia Post offers this service in partnership with TechCollect and makes it easier for those who live rurally to recycle their e-waste.
Just package up your old cartridges, visit the TechCollect website to print a shipping label, and send your package by posting it in an Australia Post post box or post office. The service costs $14.95 for up to 22kg of e-waste.
5. Refill Your Cartridges
Refilling your cartridges is a great way to save money and reduce your environmental impact. Most cartridges can be refilled 5-7 times before they need to be recycled. Cartridge refill kits are available from most office supply stores.