Note: I posted this on a previous blog last fall, but thought it'd be appropriate to share again on Earth Day for those of you who missed it!
When one of my clients recently opened her newly purchased HP ink jet cartridge, she lamented that HP no longer included the return envelope to recycle the empty cartridge. Living in Alaska, our recycling options for particular items can sometimes be limited, so we’d come to rely on those handy envelopes to help keep our cartridges out of the landfills.
I told her I’d do some research to see what I could find, and thought the information might be useful to those of you not fortunate enough to live in the most beautiful place on earth (e.g. Alaska).
Local Retailers
Check with local office supply retailers for recycling options. Some may be drop off points for different materials (i.e. Staples is an official drop off for HP ink jet and toner cartridges). For those of you in the Mat-Su Valley (Alaska), Valley Business Machines is now offering to take in all toner (not ink jet) cartridges for recycling, free of charge, as a way to give back to the community.
Manufacturer Recycling Programs
Different printer and copier manufacturers offer recycling programs for their original ink jet or toner cartridges. Some offer free, postage-paid recycling supplies (that you order), and some require the customer to pay shipping costs of returning cartridges to a central recycling location.
Results from a quick visit to the sites of some of the more popular printers, copiers, and all-in-ones are listed below. *Note: because I’m in Alaska, I’m always looking for the fine print that states the programs are not available to those of us in the Last Frontier, so please read carefully before choosing a recycling option! These recycling options were available as of September 2010.
HP:
HP offers free, postage-paid return envelopes and collection boxes that you order directly from them on their site (I ordered supplies for a client and received them within a week). Cartridges must be original HP cartridges (ink jet or toner).
Lexmark:
Ink Jet Cartridges: Submit a form to order a postage-paid envelope for single cartridge returns.
Toner Cartridges: Follow this link for instructions on returning genuine Lexmark toner cartridges.
As a bonus, Lexmark offers an equipment recycling program for its end-of-life printers. Follow the link for details on returns for your particular state.
Kyocera:
Offers recycling of original Kyocera toner cartridges, but shipping costs are incurred by the customer. Follow the link for instructions on packaging and returning your used Kyocera cartridges.
Sharp:
For Sharp copier toner products only. Complete and submit an online form and Sharp generates a FedEx shipping label and instructions for returning to an authorized center near you. Valley Business Machines is now an official Sharp dealer and offers toner cartridge recycling to those of you in the Mat-Su Valley (Alaska).
Recycling for Charity
There are a number of recycling-for-charity programs where you can raise funds for charities, schools, clubs, and organizations by recycling not only your ink jet and toner cartridges, but old cell phones. The sites I found offered a variety of programs so do your research to find which one suits your needs best. Simply Google “Recycle for Charity” and you’ll receive a host of programs to choose from.
Recycling ink jet and toner cartridges is just one small step each of us can take to help make our planet a little healthier. What other steps do you take to help make your office “green” with envy?
When one of my clients recently opened her newly purchased HP ink jet cartridge, she lamented that HP no longer included the return envelope to recycle the empty cartridge. Living in Alaska, our recycling options for particular items can sometimes be limited, so we’d come to rely on those handy envelopes to help keep our cartridges out of the landfills.
I told her I’d do some research to see what I could find, and thought the information might be useful to those of you not fortunate enough to live in the most beautiful place on earth (e.g. Alaska).
Local Retailers
Check with local office supply retailers for recycling options. Some may be drop off points for different materials (i.e. Staples is an official drop off for HP ink jet and toner cartridges). For those of you in the Mat-Su Valley (Alaska), Valley Business Machines is now offering to take in all toner (not ink jet) cartridges for recycling, free of charge, as a way to give back to the community.
Manufacturer Recycling Programs
Different printer and copier manufacturers offer recycling programs for their original ink jet or toner cartridges. Some offer free, postage-paid recycling supplies (that you order), and some require the customer to pay shipping costs of returning cartridges to a central recycling location.
Results from a quick visit to the sites of some of the more popular printers, copiers, and all-in-ones are listed below. *Note: because I’m in Alaska, I’m always looking for the fine print that states the programs are not available to those of us in the Last Frontier, so please read carefully before choosing a recycling option! These recycling options were available as of September 2010.
HP:
HP offers free, postage-paid return envelopes and collection boxes that you order directly from them on their site (I ordered supplies for a client and received them within a week). Cartridges must be original HP cartridges (ink jet or toner).
Lexmark:
Ink Jet Cartridges: Submit a form to order a postage-paid envelope for single cartridge returns.
Toner Cartridges: Follow this link for instructions on returning genuine Lexmark toner cartridges.
As a bonus, Lexmark offers an equipment recycling program for its end-of-life printers. Follow the link for details on returns for your particular state.
Kyocera:
Offers recycling of original Kyocera toner cartridges, but shipping costs are incurred by the customer. Follow the link for instructions on packaging and returning your used Kyocera cartridges.
Sharp:
For Sharp copier toner products only. Complete and submit an online form and Sharp generates a FedEx shipping label and instructions for returning to an authorized center near you. Valley Business Machines is now an official Sharp dealer and offers toner cartridge recycling to those of you in the Mat-Su Valley (Alaska).
Recycling for Charity
There are a number of recycling-for-charity programs where you can raise funds for charities, schools, clubs, and organizations by recycling not only your ink jet and toner cartridges, but old cell phones. The sites I found offered a variety of programs so do your research to find which one suits your needs best. Simply Google “Recycle for Charity” and you’ll receive a host of programs to choose from.
Recycling ink jet and toner cartridges is just one small step each of us can take to help make our planet a little healthier. What other steps do you take to help make your office “green” with envy?
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