Almost everyone who has a computer also has a printer. The inexpensive price for quality printers has made them accessible to more people. This is great for the consumers, but not so great for the environment. Empty printer ink cartridges are not biodegradable, and if the ink seeps into the soil, it can be dangerous. This means that millions of printer ink cartridges end up in landfills each year. As responsible consumers, we must do something to reduce this pollutant. Here are ways printer ink cartridges effect the environment and how you can help.



So many of us go to an office supply store and buy new ink cartridges without giving it a second thought. However, buying them new each time and simply throwing them away is not economical nor is it environmentally friendly. One way we can help save the environment is to use remanufactured printer ink. It is usually less expensive to purchase. So, not only do you save money, you help to decrease the amount of toxic waste materials in landfills. These remanufactured printer ink cartridges are made from recycled cartridges. There are special recycling locations where you can take your old cartridges. Some stores will also give you money or discounts if you drop off your cartridges there. They then take the used cartridges and either refill them themselves, or send them to a company for remanufacturing.



Another possible way to keep these cartridges out of landfills is to use refilling printer ink techniques. This process involves buying an ink refill kit and refilling the ink yourself. This keeps the cartridge from ever going to a landfill, and you save the money of someone having to remanufacture the cartridge. In the kit, you basically have a syringe in which you put the ink. Then you take the syringe and fill your empty cartridge. The only downside to this is that if it is not done properly, it can be messy and time consuming. However, if you learn the proper technique, refilling printer ink could save you a lot of money.



Printer cartridges and ink are wonderful to use. However, they can be expensive to purchase. We cannot just keep buying them and throwing them away when we are finished. We must make sure that we use them responsibly, and recycle or refill whenever possible. Since cartridges are made of plastic and metal, they are a finite resource. This means there is not a never-ending supply available. So if we want to continue to have the convenience of home printers, it is vital that we take action to save the environment. In the process, we can end up saving money which is always a positive thing.


Tags: printer ink, printer ink cartridge, refilling printer ink, remanufactured printer ink

This entry was posted on Monday, April 12th, 2010 at 2:17 pm and is filed under Buying Tips.