| By :
Wendy Moyer
What do you do with your ink cartridges when your printer runs out of ink? Do you recycle them or do you just throw them into the trash? Hundreds of millions of printer ink cartridges are used throughout the world every year. Unfortunately only about five percent of them end up in a recycling center when they're empty. Why is this unfortunate and why should you recycle your ink cartridges? There are two ecologically sound reasons why printer ink cartridges should be recycled. First of all, both the cartridges as well as any unused ink can harm the environment if they end up in a landfill. The cartridges are manufactured out of plastic and metal and are often non-biodegradable. Also, some inks are potentially toxic. The second reason is that it will put cash in your pocket. You Help Save the Environment by Recycling Ink Cartridges Since parts of these cartridges do not decompose they just take up precious space in a landfill. And the components that do decompose are often toxic and can ultimately end up polluting the water you drink. The second reason is that since plastic comes from petroleum and metals are mined, both sources will ultimately be depleted. If you recycle or refill your printer ink cartridges you will help to extend the lifespan of these natural entities so that future generations may be able to use them. You Will Save Money When You Recycle Your Cartridges The second major reason you should consider recycling your printer ink cartridges is because by doing so it will save you money. The easiest way to recycle these cartridges would be to take them to an ink refilling station and have them refilled. Alternatively, you can buy an ink refill kit and refill your cartridges yourself. If you choose to refill your own cartridges keep in mind that to maintain the best print quality you should only refill each cartridge once or twice. When your printers ink cartridges can't be refilled anymore it's time to take them to a recycling center. You can either donate your cartridges or be paid for your empty cartridges at the recycling centers. The recycling centers deconstruct the cartridges in order to reclaim the metal and other components used to make them. Recycling inkjet cartridges isn't some publicity gimmick or a fad. If we all did our part not only will we help to save our environment we will also save money. And in these challenging times what we get out of doing these simple things can only help us all.
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