With more people working from home, there’s an increased need for home printing and with that comes a growing pile of empty cartridges. While tossing them in the bin might seem convenient, disposing of them properly is vital to do your bit for the environment. 350 million printer cartridges are disposed of in landfill worldwide each year but these cartridges are often filled with plastic, taking hundreds of years to decompose. The good news is that disposing of them correctly is surprisingly easy.
At TonerGiant, we’re dedicated to providing top-quality ink and toner cartridges. But, what’s equally important to us is helping our customers dispose of the empty cartridges responsibly; we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide on how to dispose of your printer cartridges.
What are printer cartridges made from?
Ink and toner cartridges are made from a variety of materials, but the specifics can differ depending on the type (inkjet vs toner) and brand. Here’s a breakdown of the key components:
Inkjet cartridges will largely be made from plastics. Then, the ink itself is a liquid mixture composed of water, dyes and various chemicals. The dyes or pigments provide the colour, while the other chemicals affect factors like drying time. Some ink cartridges will also contain small electronic chips that communicate with the printer.
Similar to inkjet cartridges, the outer shell of toner cartridges is usually plastic. The toner powder is a fine mixture of plastic particles and other materials like carbon powder that are key for electrical conductivity.
Landfills struggle to decompose these materials, which leads to environmental concerns. Here’s how you can safely dispose of your cartridges.
Can you recycle printer cartridges?
Unfortunately you cannot recycle ink and toner cartridges at home because they are classed as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment.
These kinds of products require safe handling and specialised facilities due to the variety of materials in the cartridges.
Here are the 4 best methods we’ve found to dispose of your empty ink and toner cartridges safely and effectively:
1. Household waste recycling centres
Whilst they are not generally collected in your household collection, printer cartridges are increasingly accepted at recycling centres. Check your local website before visiting. However, if this is not the case at your local centre, there are other organisations that will recycle them for you…
2. Bulk cartridge recycling
For businesses or offices with a high printing volume, empty ink and toner cartridges can pile up quickly. Simply gather your used cartridges (up to 25kg) and register for a free account on ZeroWasteRecycling.co.uk. Schedule a pick up, pay any required fees, and you can then rest assured that your cartridges will be responsibly recycled.
3. Recycling small quantities of cartridges
For smaller quantities of cartridges, freepost services offer a convenient option. Simply pack your used cartridges in a box (or original packaging if available) and head to RecyclingFactory.co.uk or Recycle4Charity.co.uk to register. You are then able to choose between a charity donation or Clubcard rewards program. Download and print the free postage label, attach it to your box (ensure it weighs under 750g), and pop it in the post.
4. Recycle via your original printer manufacturer’s own scheme
If you choose to purchase an original cartridge from TonerGiant, you may have the option to recycle using their own system; many printer manufacturers offer free recycling programs specifically for their own brand of original cartridges. We’d recommend checking the manufacturer’s website for details and instructions. If this is not the case, come back and explore another of the options listed here.
To find out more about recycling printer cartridges, you can visit our recycling printer cartridges page, this will provide you with all of the information you need around recycling specific branded printer cartridges and any recycling schemes you may be able to utilise.
What happens when printer cartridges are disposed of correctly?
- First, used cartridges are collected and sorted according to brand, model and material time. They are then disassembled into their separate components.
- The plastics are shredded and melted down. This recycled plastic can then be used to create new products like car parts, or even new printer cartridges.
- Toner powder can be recycled in some cases, particularly for use in compatible cartridges.
- Ink recycling is more complex so less common, but some facilities are now trialling new technologies for ink recycling.
- Any metal components are also separated out and sent to be recycled into new metal products.
Ink and toner cartridges from TonerGiant
TonerGiant are a leading online cartridge retailer, offering a huge variety of high-quality ink and toner cartridges. We stock all major brands including HP, Brother and Canon, all at amazing prices.
Our commitment to exceptional customer service ensures a hassle-free online shopping experience and we promise you free next business day delivery on every order. Replace your cartridges with us today and use this guide to safely dispose of your empty printer cartridges.
About Stuart DeavallI have been working in the printing industry with TonerGiant for over 16 years, and I'm the resident technical printer expert, helping people fix their printer problems for over 14 years. I have taken part in many training courses with HP, Samsung, Brother, Canon and Xerox to further my knowledge, and I'm also the Digital Marketing Manager at TonerGiant.co.uk (degree qualified).