If you manage an office in Bridgeport, you know that toner is incredibly important to get work done. When you use up the toner and you’re left with the empty plastic container, however, do you toss it in the trash? If so, you aren’t alone. Businesses throw away as much as 50 percent of their toner cartridges and 70 percent of ink cartridges into the garbage. These empty cartridges inevitably end up taking up a significant amount of room in landfills.
The good news is there is a better way. Read on for more information.
Why Toner Recycling is Important
Roughly 350 million toner casings and ink cartridges show up in landfills worldwide every year. Once there, they can sit for a very long time. In fact, it can take up to 1,000 years for cartridges to fully decompose. In most cases, used toner cartridges can be recycled and reused. If they can’t be filled, they can often be melted and reused as recycled materials.
Recycling cuts down on waste, saves water and energy, and helps keep costs down. Recovering materials—including plastic, metals, and inks used in your office products—can have a material impact on reducing greenhouse gases. It may seem trivial, but the simple step of recycling your office consumables can make a huge impact on the environment.
How to Recycle Toner
Empty ink cartridge recycling and toner recycling is easy. If you work with a delivery service for your office products, many vendors will take away your empty cartridges for free. Earth911 has an extensive database of recycling locations online. The list includes places like Best Buy, Staples, Cartridge World, Office Depot, Costco, and most major office supply stores.
There are also online websites that can help you recycle. You may be able to earn cash for recycling or donate any earnings to charitable organizations. Cartridges for Kids, eCycle Group, and Recycle4Charity will provide free shipping for your recycling efforts, although be sure to check to make sure they accept your particular brand. The amount they pay depends on the demand for a specific type of brand of recycled cartridges, whether the cartridge is OEM (manufactured by the Original Equipment Manufacturer) or an aftermarket product, and whether it has been reused previously. Empty first-use cartridges, which have not been refilled or refurbished and were made by the OEM, are worth the most.
Help yourself and the environment by starting to recycle your empty toner cartridges today. If your Bridgeport company has questions or needs help recycling its consumables, contact Hart Office Solutions today for more information.