Are Ink Cartridges Recyclable?
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Ink and toner cartridges should never go in regular trash or recycling. They contain valuable materials and can be refilled. Most manufacturers and retailers offer free recycling programs.
Return to office supply stores (Staples, Office Depot), manufacturer mail-back programs, or drop off at Best Buy.
Preparation Steps:
Remove from printer. No preparation needed for most programs.
Never throw in trash. Contains valuable and potentially harmful materials.
Staples and Office Depot offer rewards for cartridge recycling. All major manufacturers have free mail-back programs.
No local option for ink cartridges and writing supplies? Mail it in.
Try the free route first: Staples and Best Buy take ink and toner cartridges free in store.
If nothing near you takes it, TerraCycle’s Pens, Pencils and Markers Zero Waste Box is a mail-in program: you fill the box, ship it back with the label inside, and the contents get processed instead of landfilled.
- Prepaid shipping label in the box
- Everything sent back is recycled, not landfilled
- Sized for a household, an office or a school
Zero Waste Boxes are a paid product, not a free drop-off. Price depends on the box size and what you are recycling.
- Refillable ink cartridges
- Eco-tank printers (refillable)
- Subscription ink programs with return labels