Support Green Charities by Recycling Your Empty Toner Cartridges

jplatt — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:47:53 -0400

ARGH! Another toner cartridge just went dry in my printer. Time to buy a new one -- and time to recycle the old one.

You definitely don't want to dump your old inkjet cartridges in the garbage. Even when they're out of ink, they're still full of toxic chemicals which can leach into the ground and pollute our land and water.

But how do you recycle an inkjet or laser-printer cartridge?

First step, check with your local retailer. Stores like Staples and Best Buy collect toner cartridges for free.

Next step, check with your local charities or community groups. Many collect cartridges, which they then turn in for cash, which helps fund their local efforts.

Next, go online, and see if you can donate your cartridges to support a cause. Recycle4Charity.com will take your used cartridges and cell phones and make a donation to groups like Habitat for Humanity or Helen Keller Worldwide. Empties4Cash.com lets you select from charities like Big Cat Rescue and The Wildcat Sanctuary.

Finally, go online and sell your used cartridges for cash. Recycle4Dollars.com is just one of the sites that will pay you a few dollars for every cartridge you send in.

So don't let those used-up inkjet and toner cartridges sit around in your house or in a landfill. Recycle them, and do some good in the process!

Recycle Those Electronics!

jplatt — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:11:08 -0400

Recycling electronics is quickly becoming big business, which means more options are finally opening to consumers looking to trade in their old computers, monitors, cell phones, printer cartridges and the like.

The U.S. Post Office this week announced it is starting a trial program (initially available in 10 cities), where you can pick up a pre-paid envelope and mail in your electronics for free recycling. Their partner in this program, Clover Technologies Group, has a "zero landfill" policy and unlike other companies doesn't outsource its work oversees, where recycling of high-tech devices has a tendency to create terrible pollution.

The Post Office isn't alone. For example, Staples stores collect all kinds of electronics for recycling. The stores charge a $10 fee to recycle larger devices (like monitors, which aren't eligible for the Post Office's program), but smaller peripherals are recycled at no charge.

Of course, you could always embrace the old mantra of "reduce, reuse, recycle" and donate your old electronics. Cell phones are particularly good fundraisers for many organizations. The old phones are refurbished and given to people who need them, often in the developing world, where they can help create economic opportunities.

No matter what you do, try to avoid just throwing your old electronics out. The long-term damage far outweighs the convenience of your garbage can.

Want to find out more about recycling?

Recycling Tips: Did You Know You Cannot Recycle Messy Pizza Boxes?

The Benefits of Recycling: Let’s Talk Trash

Recycling the Looking Glass: When Garbage and Art Collide

Top 10 Recycling Resources

Recycled Record Snack Tray

The Benefits of Recycling Cardboard

The Art of Garbage

Reduce, Reuse… FREECYCLE

Back to Basics—RRR

Picking Up Garbage TVs and Recycling as Art

Students Recycle and Reduce Garbage: Take It Or Leave It

Knight Rider Recycled—Reborn With Green Twist!

Recycling Your Garbage: Where Does it All Go?

green fundraising

Support Green Charities by Recycling Your Empty Toner Cartridges

Recycle Those Electronics!