Are you the part of a huge corporate firm that prints thousands of documents by the day and disposes its used toner cartridges at the end of the day? Do you often find that your printer cartridge has run out of toner/ink and throw the used toner cartridge or ink cartridge immediately in the garbage? Does your store room have a countless number of used printer cartridges lying idly? If your answer to one of the above posed questions is yes, then we urge you to think! Think about the number of ways to utilize your used toner cartridges! In this article, we will suggest a few of the many methods you can employ to ensure that your used toner cartridges do not end up littering your house or worse, end up in the dump yard.
1. Refill
Most machines allow refilling of cartridge but one should make sure if one's cartridge is built for refilling before deciding to undergo the process. Refilling toner cartridges is a task that you can conveniently choose to do yourself. Cheap and easy to use kits are available that allow you to refill your own empty printer cartridges. Most kits come with attached instructions; however, the following steps can be useful if one holds a keen interest and skill in refilling:
Soldering Kit
Be sure to purchase a toner kit that comes with packaged toner bottles, and a soldering iron (used to make a hole) that comes with a cutting tip. For most of the cartridges, refilling is quite easy by the "unplug and pour" option. However, some companies make it difficult to refill the cartridges since they earn most by selling the cartridges. The popular HP and Canon cartridges are some of the examples of such printers Use a soldering iron to create a hole in your used toner cartridge or remove the plug with the help of pliers.
Shake the toner bottle well, it helps toner flows quickly. Remove the cap and break the seal of the toner bottle. Now you can easily pour the toner powder in the cartridge via the hole you created. Be careful to leave an air space while pouring the toner.
Wipe off any extra toner spilled at the outside of the hole carefully with the duster and seal the hole back with any plastic or rubber grommet. It will help prevent any leakage in the future.
Make sure that you get a toner refill kit that comes with a tightly fitted seal to close the hole you might have made to avoid leaks inside the machine.
2. Recycle
Even though refilling your used cartridge will help you save money, another way will help you save money in an easy way. One can carefully get rid of a used toner cartridges by selling them to a remanufacturing company. Many remanufacturers of toner cartridges have set up websites to make access easier for those willing to sell used toner/inkjet cartridges. These companies will either pay you directly for the used toner cartridges or offer you discounted prices on new toner cartridges. There is a common misconception amongst people that remanufactured toner cartridges contain poor quality toner powder that hinders the printing process but that is not the case.
3. Set Up a Home Business
Taking the above points into consideration should allow your creative juices to flow and introduce endless ideas about how to deal with used toner cartridges. For example: you could be your own recycling agency. Collect your own empty cartridges and encourage others to do the same. Call up your neighbours and tell them to drop off their used toner cartridges at your place and to spread the word about your mini recycling agency. Once you have a considerable amount of empty toner cartridges you could either take them to an established recycling agency yourself or better yet, refill them. Although refilling a large number of used toner cartridges will take up a lot of your time, you can make a considerable amount of money by selling them back to your neighbours for a profit!
4. Discarding
If your cartridges can't be recycled (due to some damage or already recycled multiple times), you shouldn't through them in the garbage because printer cartridges contain Carbon Black which is classified as carcinogenic. There are recycling companies specialised in discarding toxic materials, you should send your cartridges to them.
The above steps were just a few possible notions presented to you to help instigate you clear your basement or attic from all the used toner cartridges. Hopefully, you will be inspired to apply such greener practices when it comes to these printing complements.