Normally, almost all unusual types of waste are disposed of with the residual waste. But the situation is different with inkjet and toner cartridges. Specific rules apply to these products. Failure to do so could harm the environment or face fines.
Can I dispose of old and empty ink cartridges with household waste?
At first glance, it might seem natural to dispose of the empty printer cartridges in the general waste. But that is not necessarily the right approach. It is better to take the ink or toner cartridge to a recycling center or a collection point for empty cartridges. Some of these collection points are in offices or in places where you can also buy new cartridges. Proper disposal is an important step for recycling: If you dispose of it in the household waste, the materials in the cartridge are lost. If, however, you give the cartridge to a collection point instead, the materials can be taken back into the material cycle and processed further. Overall, fewer materials have to be used for the production of new ink cartridges.
Caution: You should never empty remaining ink cartridges in the toilet or sink. Like improper disposal of the cartridge itself, this can be harmful to the environment. In addition to empty ink cartridges, all recycling centers also accept half-empty and full cartridges in order to recycle them. Improper disposal can also result in fines.
Does a manufacturer have to take back my old cartridges?
Many manufacturers actually offer that they take back and recycle their own brand of empty printer cartridges. This can be via a recycling box that is picked up regularly or directly by post. For more information, please call or visit your manufacturer's website..
Visit the manufacturer's website for more information. On the HP side, for example, there are three different ways to dispose of your old cartridges. Is it worth refilling empty cartridges?
You may be wondering now, if manufacturers can recycle the empty cartridges, can't I just refill them? What at first seems like a practical savings tip unfortunately turns out to be not particularly practical. Of course, you have to spend some money here too, namely for refill ink and a syringe for filling. Now it might seem easy to just draw the ink into the syringe and then refill the old cartridge. But this step is relatively time-consuming and is usually not worth it. Depending on the size of the syringe cannula, the opening of the ink cartridge can be overstretched. This can cause ink to leak into your printer while printing. In addition to an unnecessary annoyance, more work is required here.In addition, you must be very careful when filling the cartridge to avoid accidentally spilling ink or leaving ink blots on your surface. Depending on the material of the base, these are very difficult or even impossible to remove. Also, this method only works for inkjet printers, not laser printer toners.
Can I still do something with my unused toner cartridges?
Do you have toner from your laser printer that is no longer compatible with your current model? Instead of just throwing them away, you can sell or donate them to specific providers. Of course, you will not earn as much from a sale as you previously spent on the cartridge. Nevertheless, this can be a step towards "damage limitation": Receiving a little money is still better than making nothing at all with a free disposal. To find appropriate facilities, just look on the Internet. Try it for example at dietonerverwerter.de or at eBay classifieds..
There are many different companies that buy back full toners. One of them is, for example, dietonerverwerter.de.