Ink cartridge reviews are provided to help you find the optimal ink cartridge for your printer. They can also save you money by offering coupons and discounts that you might not find by just visiting websites of various ink cartridge stores.

Curses! The printer ink is empty. That insipid empty ink cartridge is causing the power lights on your printer to blink. You look into your desk drawer trying to remember if you bought a replacement cartridge with your last paycheck. Printer ink can be so expensive! It’s time to make a change. No, not by reverting to writing in pen or pencil, but by looking at empty ink cartridges in a new way — a way that can help you make the earth a better place and even make you some extra money: Recycling.

PTO Moms have known for many years that by collecting used ink cartridges they can raise funds for schools, as well as keep the cartridges out of our landfills. These days there are many companies that buy back ink cartridges — in fact it’s a $350 billion industry. Emptytoner.com’s representatives say $80 to $100 checks are common for schools, clubs and fundraising organizations. This is because empty printer ink cartridges are valuable to recycling companies and can stretch your budget as well. Most companies pay on a scale commensurate with the re-sale value of the cartridges. Laser cartridges, for example, are typically worth more than ink jet. The more expensive, empty laser cartridges can fetch you nearly $5.50 a piece, while lower-end ink jet cartridges start as low as 50 cents. The price you get can also depend on brand. For example, Inkjet cartridges made by HP and Lexmark are more valuable as they are refilled and sold again at a lower price and they help the environment. Where as some just pay a flat fee. AAA Environmental pays a flat $1 for every cartridge selected for remanufacturing. Companies like PrintCountry.com even sends you recycling bags to return to them filled with empty ink cartridges.

Environmental advocates offer two great reasons for recycling ink cartridges. First, if not disposed of properly, printer ink cartridges can be devastating to the environment. They are made up of non-biodegradable materials that contain elements that pollute the earth. When they find their way to a landfill, they remain there for extremely long periods of time. The chemicals incorporated into their makeup are hazardous and can seep through the soil, ultimate getting mixed in with the ground water. Ground water can find its way to the ocean, or to our drinking water. The second legitimate reason to recycle cartridges is that the cartridge material is made from non-renewable sources that are better off being conserved. They are made from metal and plastic. We have no way of knowing how soon these finite sources will be exhausted.

So the next time your printer ink runs out, don’t worry. Be happy. Make some money and recycle!

Go Green by reusing what businesses use: ink cartridges and printer ink cartridges. Instead of throwing out these everyday objects of use, find creative ways to utilize them, as in creating a lamp! Make it one less ink cartridge in a landfill, and one more unique way to light a desk in a home or office with soft light. Promote art that makes a difference.

Newly created ink cartridge lamps sell from between $35 and $200, and demonstrate how waste can be transformed into a one-of-a-kind craft. Don’t shut out an opportunity to be eco-friendly and artistically innovative. These are great gifts for graphic designers, artists, or anyone with a passion for creativity and the environment. They are a quiet, artistic addition to home or room decor, and provide a personal tag that promotes creativity and a healthy atmosphere.

These translucent plastic lamps are pocket-sized and work wonderfully as hanging or desk lamps. Each lamp uses a 6 watt bulb, which has a light output that is equivalent to 4-5 watts. Replacement bulbs can be located at hardware stores.

Though the ink cartridge lamp goes anywhere free of heat, do note that it is still a lamp with a heated bulb. To ensure safety, there are high-impact polystyrene [with foil] heat-shield strips around the bulb and a warning label (pictured) on each lamp to caution against covering the lamp or setting it on a carpet. It should also be noted that these lamps went through extensive testing for the assurance of safety.

Each lamp is made with love by first carefully cracking open the cartridge (220ml ink cartridges for 78 & 9800 series printers) that would have been thrown out. The ink cartridge is drilled, wired up, and turned into a glowing box of light!

Choose a unique color for your personal space. These lamps can be purchased in the following colors: matte black, cyan, light-cyan, magenta, light-magenta, yellow, light-black, and light-light-black. The colors enhance these small boxes of energy and offer a unique aesthetic appeal.

Also consider the ink cartridge chandelier or hanging lamp. These are especially unique and difficult to construct. Made with eight K3 cartridges that are used in big printers, they are carefully arranged in the order they were in while in the printer.

Switch on to this new way to light up a room! And feel good about doing your part to help the planet.

Which Printer Ink Cartridge Do You Need?

Deciding which printer ink cartridge you need depends on the type of printer you buy, and what type of projects you’ll be completing. The three most popular types of printers on the market are inkjet, snapshot, and color laser printers. Once you’ve considered your printing needs, and have chosen a printer, you need to consider ink replacement costs. Some replacement printer ink cartridges can cost about as much as the printer itself. There are some important factors to consider when it’s time to replace your printer ink cartridge.

Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers provide a variety of functions that are usually suitable to home and small-office users. They can print a small volume of materials ranging from driving directions to vacation photos. Low-end models can still be slow, but the high-end models can be impressively fast. Today’s inkjet models come with features such as larger displays, or touch screens, integrated Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and more paper-handling options.

Laser Models

They offer speed, and produce professional looking documents, especially if you print a lot of text such as letters and business documents. Color or monochrome models are available, but for comparable prices, purchasing a color laser printer will allow you more freedom in your projects.

Snapshot Printers

They are the slowest of the three types of printers, and are designed specifically to make photographs. They are usually portable, and allow the convenience of on-the-spot printing. All snapshots have several things in common: a single paper tray, a color LCD, and media card slots so you can print without a computer. If you need to print anything other than photos, you’re better off buying an inkjet.

According to PC World, before you put down the cash on a printer, you want to find out how much the replacement printer ink cartridges cost, and how many pages each cartridge can print. For inkjets, a three-color cartridge can cost $10 to $40, and $5 to $35 for an individual color or black cartridge. The cheaper the cartridge, the less ink it holds. For snapshot printers, the same rule applies; check out the cost of a snapshot printer’s replacement cartridge, and how many pages each cartridge can print. A three-color cartridge will run you $28 to $38 or more. You can go generic, and save money by buying replacement cartridges made by a company other than your printer’s manufacturer, but beware that you risk losing print quality.

If you want cheap printing for short-lived documents, there are affordable options out there. Further, be sure to check out manufacturer recycling programs as some offer discounts on new printer ink cartridges for returning empty cartridges.