Cartridge Remanufactured
Used printer cartridge: 4 things you can do with a used printer cartridge
You’re standing in your store room, surrounded by old, discarded printer cartridges that you don’t use any more. You think to yourself, ‘what am I going to do with all these old cartridges?’ The most common solution that comes to mind would be to throw them away, but there are other ways to utilise these used printer cartridges abandoned in your store room.
With printing jobs exceeding hundreds of pages a day, what can you do with all your empty printer cartridges? Most people casually put them in the trash, never even thinking about the negative effects to the environment. It can take centuries before a single used printer cartridge decomposes and an estimated 200,000,000 used printer cartridges end up in landfill in the UK yearly. Rather than increase the growing level of non-biodegradable waste sent to landfill, why not be environmentally friendly and reuse your cartridges in some way to benefit yourself? Here are a few things that you can do with your used printer cartridge:
Make money through your used printer cartridge
There are three types of printer cartridges:
- Original Equipment Manufacturer cartridge: These are the ones that are directly produced by the printer manufacturers themselves.
- Remanufactured Printer cartridge: These are empty original cartridges that are examined thoroughly for faults, refilled, reconstructed and re-packaged to be sold again.
- Compatible Printer cartridge: These are newly manufactured cartridges created by a third-party manufacturer.
Did you know you can make money by selling a used printer cartridge? Remanufacturing companies often offer incentives to recycle empty printer cartridges, and you will find many online companies that will buy your used printer cartridge in return for money. The actual amount you receive is dependent upon the quality and brand of your cartridge, but you could get up to £12 per used printer cartridge.
Some big chain stores will offer you store credit or vouchers in return for your used printer cartridges, which can be put towards any product in the shop. There are also some stores that will take your used printer cartridge and give you a discount when you purchase a new cartridge.
So why not make a little extra money on your used cartridge instead of throwing it away. You’ll get some extra cash and the environment benefits as a result. There could be a goldmine hiding away in your store room – maybe your next holiday will be free!
Make a charitable donation with your used printer cartridge
Lots of charities have an agreement with recycling firms where they get money in exchange for cartridges. Last year, GreenTech paid more than £50,000 to charities in the UK by collecting and recycling laser toner cartridges. You can help raise money for charities by donating your used printer cartridges to them. It’s simple – just drop off or mail in your used printer cartridges to the charity of your choice. The charities will then send the cartridges to the recycling companies. In return, they get funds to help their charity. Alternatively, send your cartridge direct to the recycling companies and request that your profits be sent to charity.
Your role in generating extra funds for these charities is important, and they welcome aid in any shape or form, so donate your used printer cartridges for the greater good. Many companies help you through this process – some create kiosks in your local area for collection and some send you envelopes to mail the cartridges for free. This way, you can donate your used printer cartridge at your own convenience, whilst still providing a good service to your community.
Refill your used printer cartridge
A used printer cartridge could be refilled instead of throwing it away. A used printer cartridge can potentially be refilled five to six times in its lifespan. You can either refill them yourself, or send them to a company to do the job for you. You save money, as you don’t need to purchase new, expensive original cartridges. As you need cartridges on a daily basis for large amounts of printing, it’s more cost effective for you to reuse a used printer cartridge.
If you have the time, patience and expertise, you can refill a used printer cartridge yourself, but keep in mind that any mistake will leave behind stains and could also cause printer problems. To do this, you’ll have to purchase a refill kit from a printing supply store.
Here are a few tips on refilling your used printer cartridge:
- Make a small hole on top of the used printer cartridge
- Using a syringe, inject the ink into the reservoir.
- Once the cartridge is filled, put it back into the printer.
If you feel that you cannot manage refilling the empty cartridge yourself, then the next best thing it to send your used printer cartridge to a printing supply store and have them refill it for you. Before you know it, your used printer cartridge will be as good as new.
Be creative with your used printer cartridge
Why throw your used printer cartridge away, when you can use them around the house. For instance, a discarded toner cartridge is quite weighty. Once it’s been cleaned up, it would make for a very geek chic paperweight for your desk. If you like, you can paint it according to your own wishes and make it more appealing, plus it’ll make for an interesting talking point in the office.
A more artsy use for your old cartridges is to use them for decorative objects. For example, David and Cathy Winton got creative with their used printer cartridges, designing a series of desk lamps and chandeliers from old inkjet cartridges which they sell for profit at their online shop. Let your creativity flow! Why not dress it up and attach a magnet at the back once it’s cleaned? This way you can create a very innovative fridge magnet for yourself. Or dismantle it and see what accessories you can make from the constituent parts.
The list of possibilities for your used cartridges is endless, but the bottom line is to not to add to landfill sites. By doing so, you will help the environment, clean your store cupboard and ultimately benefit yourself.
About the Author
Information on used toner cartridges and inkjet cartridge recycling
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