Cartridge Recycling

Toner recycling is the latest raw material to make its way into the recycling chain. From paper to rubber, to tin — the practice of recycling materials back into their raw state originated hundreds of years, prior to The Revolutionary War. 

The goal of classic recycling is to convert waste products into new products by reacquiring the original properties of the source material. Paper can be re-pulped and turned back into new paper products. Recycled metal can be melted down, purified, and re-poured, or pressed.

But modern e-waste recycling has the dual purpose of both conserving resources and keeping harmful electronic components out of landfills.

Electronic components contain lead, mercury, cadmium, phosphors, and other potentially harmful compounds.

You can’t dump old electronics in landfills because it may contaminate the groundwater or soil, and you can’t crush or burn them, because those harmful chemicals could pollute the atmosphere. 

E-waste must be properly recycled… and that includes your ink and toner cartridges!

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Why Recycling Printer Cartridges Is Important

Recycling printer cartridges is important because the materials used to make ink and toner cartridges can be harmful to human health and the environment.

We’ve finally learned the true cost of electronic waste. Printer cartridges are made of a complex blend of plastic, metal, foam, ink, and toner. As a result, these components cannot easily be separated.

You can’t toss empty printer cartridges in with standard paper and plastic recycling. 

However, don’t toss them in the trash either.

Fortunately, nearly 100% of printer cartridge materials can be recycled. This greatly reduces airborne pollutants. (Pssst! If you get ink or toner on your hands, we’ll tell you how to clean it off!)

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Facts & Stats About Printer Cartridges Recycling

The numbers are staggering when it comes to printer cartridge recycling. So much is wasted every day.

Check out these eye-popping facts and figures:

• Approximately 375 million printer cartridges are tossed in the trash every year.  
• Eight ink cartridges are trashed each second in the U.S.
• A laser printer cartridge takes up to 450 years to decompose. 
• The industrial-grade plastics used in printer cartridge manufacturing take over a thousand years to decompose.
• One of the most toxic forms of waste is electronic waste, or e-waste.
• Each new toner cartridge requires about one gallon of oil to manufacture. Recycling printer cartridges can potentially save millions of gallons of crude oil each year!
• Approximately 1.3 billion inkjet cartridges are used around the world annually, but less than 30% of them are properly recycled. 
• If you stacked all of the empty printer cartridges generated each year end-to-end, they would circle the earth twice.

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How To Recycle Printer Cartridges

Now, after we know how critical is printer cartridge recycling and how cartridge components can be harmful to the environment, new questions unfold:

What do you do with your old printer cartridges? How do you properly recycle them?

Surprisingly, recycling printer cartridges is not difficult.

You can easily recycle your printer cartridges for money, charity, or just for the well being of the planet and its future generations by taking a few simple steps.

There are different ways to recycle your used ink and toner cartridges:

• Manufacturer Lead Recycle Programs
• Mail-in Recycle Programs
• Office Supply Store Recycle Programs

Let’s see how these different recycling programs work.

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Manufacturer Lead Programs

These programs are created by the printer and cartridge manufacturers themselves.

Most major manufacturers offer free take-back programs. Some even cover the cost of postage.

Click below to learn more about the printer cartridge recycling programs of specific printer manufacturers:

• HP collects empty water bottles and plastic hangers, recycling them to make new ink and toner cartridges. You can also conveniently recycle your HP ink and toner with HP Planet Partners Supplies Recycling Program.
• Brother reuses packing boxes to ship and return used cartridges.
• Lexmark offers free and easy cartridge recycling since 1991. 
• Canon offers free inkjet cartridge returns.
• Canon Toner has been recycled since 1990, the first company to collect and recycle used copier toner cartridges.
• The Xerox Green World Alliance has kept more than 145 million pounds of waste out of landfills over the last two decades. 
• Okidata‘s partnership with COREFIDO allows you to recycle Oki toner cartridges, image drums, transfer belts, and users. 
• Panasonic partners with third-party recyclers to handle its vast array of electronic products. 
• Ricoh will recycle your old ink and toner cartridges, as well as toner bottles. 
• Samsung supports producer responsibility and responsible recycling.
• Sharp offers free bulk shipping to recycle your toner cartridges. 
• Dell partnered with FedEx to deliver its free mail-back recycling program.

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Non-Manufacturer Mail-Back Programs

In addition to manufacturer lead recycling programs, there are also non-manufacturer mail-back programs.

Cash4Toners is a great resource for selling your surplus toner cartridges for cash. 

While some companies provide pre-paid mailing labels and offer cashback for your empty cartridges, Cash4Toners pays both free shipping and top dollar for your surplus toner!

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Office Supply Retailers

Don’t want to mail your empties back?

You can always visit your nearest office supply store. Most offer their own cartridge recycling program.

Also, you can recycle your empty printer cartridges at almost any Staples, Office Depot, or other major office supply store. Some major retailers, such as Walgreens, refill empty cartridges.

Learn more about recycling printer cartridges at office supply stores here.

Let’s now discuss everything in detail:

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Ink Cartridge Recycling

Got an inkjet printer? What to do with the old ink cartridges? 

Above, we discussed printer cartridge recycling in general. However, not all printer cartridges are the same.

There are ink cartridges for inkjet printers and toner cartridges for laser printers.

(Learn more about the difference between ink and toner here)

Let’s first look at how to recycle ink cartridges.

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Where To Recycle Ink Cartridges

Where should you recycle your inkjet cartridges?

Frankly, the best place to recycle ink cartridges is whatever is most convenient for you.

You can recycle your ink cartridges in the following ways:

• Drop your inkjet cartridges off at any office supply store, like Staples or Office Depot 
• Recycle your empty cartridges at designated kiosks at Walmart, Target, and Best Buy
• Mail your empty ink cartridges back to the original manufacturer 
• Recycle with a third-party recycling facility
• Drop your inkjet cartridges off at your local recycling center

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Recycle Ink Cartridges by Mail

Ink cartridges can be recycled by mail.

Most major manufacturers will pay the cost of shipping. It is helpful to keep the box or carton that your ink or toner cartridges came in since it can be used to mail your empty cartridges back to the manufacturer for recycling.

Recycling by mail is a convenient option for many, especially in the age of COVID quarantines!

Another benefit of recycling by mail is the security of knowing your empty ink cartridges will be properly recycled by the original manufacturer or an equally qualified cartridge refurbisher. 

A detailed analysis of each manufacturer’s mail-in recycling program is covered below.

Visit the website of your ink cartridge manufacturer for more information about recycling ink cartridges by mail.

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Ink Recycling Programs

The biggest ink cartridges recycling programs are run by the printer manufacturers.

You can learn more about manufacturer-based ink cartridge recycling programs below.

Also, you can consider one of several third-party ink cartridge recycling programs. You can even choose an ink cartridge recycler whose programs benefit a non-profit organization.

Other third-party recycling programs target hard-to-recycle waste, like computers and printers, in addition to printer supplies.

You can learn more about third party ink cartridge recycling programs through the links below:

• Clover Environmental –provides innovative recycling programs. 
• Evolve Recycling – pays organizations for their empty ink and toner cartridges. 
• Terracycle – offers free recycling programs for hard-to-recycle waste.
• Cartridges for Kids – uses cartridge recycling as a fundraising source for schools, churches, and other nonprofits.
• Earth911.com – finds your local recycling center.

What about the ink left inside your cartridges? Is there some way to recycle that?

Not on a large scale, but some artists use leftover printer ink to bring their unique visions to life. 

We all want to support ink recycling programs, but recycling the cartridge components is the most essential part of the process… not the ink itself.

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Recycle Ink Cartridges for Cash

Want to make some fast cash?

Some claim you can make a pretty penny recycling ink cartridges for cash. While we haven’t seen big earnings recycling ink cartridges for cash, you can make a few bucks and clear out your office clutter.

Recycling ink cartridges for money depends entirely on the age and condition of your ink cartridges.

Are your ink cartridges in the original sealed packaging?

Are they still within the expiration date printed on the side of the package?

Then you get top dollar for your ink cartridges.

Recycling ink cartridges for cash works best if your cartridges are in new or nearly new condition. You can make money for ink cartridges in damaged packaging, but not as much as cartridges in better condition. Ink cartridges that have been opened or used generally cannot be sold for cash and should be properly recycled.

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Recycling Empty Ink Cartridges

What to do with empty ink cartridges?

Generally, there are two scenarios:

1. You have unused ink cartridges that you do not need. In this case, you can recycle those cartridges by selling them for cash.
2. You have used cartridges. In this case, it does not really matter if your ink cartridges are completely empty or have some ink left in them. You can recycle those as “used” ink cartridges using the methods described in this article.

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What To Do With Unused Printer Ink Cartridges

As already mentioned above, you can simply sell them.

Unused print cartridges that are in the original packaging and within the expiration date listed on the packaging can be easily sold online.

If your unused printer ink cartridges are out of the original packaging or out of date, they should be recycled using either a manufacturer lead recycling program, a non-manufacturer mail-back program, or dropped off at an office supply store.

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Toner Cartridge Recycling

Toner cartridges are generally much larger than ink cartridges. Therefore, it is all the more important that these components get appropriately recycled.

But what to do with used toner cartridges?

Recycling toner cartridges is easy. Like ink cartridges, toner cartridges for laser printers can be recycled in similar ways.

You can: 

• Mail empty toner cartridges back to the manufacturer
• Drop used printer toner cartridges at an office supply store 
• Recycle your toner cartridges with a third party recycling program

Toner recycling is important to the environment, and toner cartridges must be disposed of properly.

Let’s look at how to recycle laser toner cartridges in detail.

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Where To Recycle Toner Cartridges

Recycling toner cartridges is not hard. You can mail empty toner cartridges back to the manufacturer free of charge via a cartridge return program.

You can also recycle printer toner cartridges at an office supply store. There are also several third-party recycling options.

If your toner cartridges are new you can sell them to us.

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Toner Recycling Programs

Similar to ink cartridge recycling, by far the biggest toner recycling programs are those spearheaded by the toner manufacturers themselves.

You can learn more about manufacturer-based recycling programs below. 

Plus, most third-party printer cartridge recycling programs are also available for toners. Some of these programs benefit non-profit organizations, while others focus on hard-to-recycle waste, like computers and printers.

You can learn more about these toner recycling programs through the links below:

• Clover Environmental provides innovative recycling programs. 
• Evolve Recycling pays organizations for their empty ink and toner cartridges. 
• Terracycle offers free recycling programs for hard-to-recycle waste.
• Cartridges for Kids uses cartridge recycling as a fundraising source for schools, churches, and other nonprofits.
• Earth911.com finds your local recycling center.

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Recycle Toner Cartridges For Cash

If your toner cartridges are unused and unopened there is a good chance you can recycle those cartridges by selling them. Cash4Toners buys unopened toner, OEM cartridges, while other organizations may pay cash for empty toner cartridges.

Recycle those toner cartridges for cash!

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Recycling Empty Toner

Some third-party organizations offer cash for empty toner cartridges. They will clean, refill, and resell these cartridges as remanufactured. You will need to research these organizations and their shipping rates to find one that is most beneficial to you. 

It is often easier to simply recycle empty toner cartridges since there are so many more options available. Nearly all cartridge manufacturers have mail-in recycling programs. 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these.

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HP Printer Cartridge Recycling

HP uses recycled plastic from old HP cartridges and also recycled bottles and hangers to create new ink and toner cartridges. They call this closed-loop recycling.

HP claims more than 4.7 billion plastic bottles and 114 million plastic hangers have been recycled into new HP ink and toner cartridges. 

The HP recycling program has collected more than 875 million ink and toner cartridges through its HP Planet Partners program.

Here is a great video from HP about their “Closed Loop” recycling and the life of an HP print cartridge:

https://youtu.be/Z0HOwMrvJtM

The Hewlett Packard recycling program is dedicated to keeping ink and toner cartridges out of oceans and landfills. The HP Recycling Program allows customers to drop empty cartridges off at any Walmart, Staples, or Office Depot.

You can also mail cartridges back with free HP shipping labels or request a pickup if you have more than 76 toner cartridges or more than 1,000 ink cartridges.

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HP Toner Recycling

If you have more than 76 toner cartridges, you can arrange for a free pallet pickup courtesy of HP.

Only have a few empty toner cartridges?

Get a free HP toner recycling shipping label and ship them back. You can also recycle your empty HP toner cartridges by dropping them off at any office supply store, like, Staples or Office Depot.

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HP Ink Recycling

HP’s printer ink recycling program has kept millions of HP ink cartridges from clogging up landfills and contaminating the environment. 

It’s simple to recycle HP ink cartridges. You can participate in HP inkjet cartridge recycling by dropping empty HP ink cartridges off at the local office supply store, like Staples or Office Depot. 

Get a free HP recycling shipping label and ship your HP ink cartridges back for recycling. 

If you have more than 1,000 empty HP ink cartridges, you can arrange for a free pallet pickup courtesy of HP. 

Click here to learn more about how to recycle HP ink cartridges.

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Recycle HP Ink Cartridges for Cash

Most third party cartridge buyers will pay cold, hard cash for your HP Ink cartridges, as long as they are: 

• In the original, unopened packaging
• Within the expiration date stamped on the package

If your HP ink cartridges aren’t unopened and unexpired you’ll need to simply recycle them. No cash. Sorry.

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Recycle HP Toner Cartridges for Cash

If your HP toner cartridges are unused and in good condition, you can sell them to Cash 4 Toners. One benefit of selling unused toner cartridges is that toner cartridges don’t expire, unlike ink cartridges, which have a definite shelf life.

Toner is dust, man, and dust doesn’t age, brah!

To learn more about recycling HP toner cartridges for cash click here.

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Canon Cartridge Recycling

Canon has a goal of zero landfill waste.

In order to accomplish this lofty goal, Canon has teamed up with FedEx Office to offer a free program to recycle your Canon cartridges.

The Canon recycling program has been active since 1990. Canon cartridge recycling was the first program to collect and recycle used copier toner cartridges.

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Canon Ink Cartridges Recycling

You can return your Canon inkjet cartridges for free with the company’s no-cost collection and recycling program. This program was implemented to prevent used Canon inkjet cartridges from being dumped in landfills.

Recycling Canon inkjet cartridges is simple. You can drop your empty Canon ink cartridges off at any of the over 1,600 FedEx Office Print & Ship Centers.

Click here to find the FedEx nearest you. 

You can also mail your empty Canon ink cartridges to:

CETI
ITCG Return Program
5980 Industrial Dr
Gloucester, VA 23061

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Canon Toner Recycling

Canon Toner Cartridge Recycling has been going strong since 1990. In fact, Canon was the first company to recycle toner cartridges and has been at the forefront of toner cartridge recycling ever since. With the cooperation of its customers, Canon has collected more than 378,000 tons of toner cartridges around the world.

Use Canon’s Laser Consumable Return Program to recycle your empty Canon laser toner cartridges.

Click here to print a free shipping label for Canon toner cartridge recycling. 

Mail empty Canon toner cartridges to: 

Canon Toner Recycling Center
5980 Industrial Drive
Gloucester, VA 23061

To learn more about Canon recycling programs, please click here.

To learn more about recycling unused Canon printer cartridges for cash, please click here.

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Brother Cartridge Recycling

Brother’s recycling program is committed to minimizing the company’s impact on the environment. 

Brother cartridge recycling is simple: just send the empty toner or ink cartridges back in the cardboard box they came in, no-cost.

If you use genuine Brother printer cartridges, you can participate in the Brother printer cartridge recycling program free of charge. This program also accepts used Brother drum units, toner and ribbon cartridges, ink cartridges, and P-Touch tape cassettes.

How do you recycle Brother toner cartridges?

Simply reuse the box your cartridges came in to recycle your Brother printer cartridges. Create a USPS SmartLabel through your Brother account for free shipping. If you do not have a Brother account, create one…it’s free!

Attach the label to your package, so it is clearly visible. Drop your return package off anywhere in the U.S. Postal Service system. No additional postage or insurance is needed — Brother pays for the shipping.

Here is a helpful video on Brother cartridge recycling from Brother Europe:

https://youtu.be/SqumzM-gDvw

For additional Brother product recycling information click here.

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Brother Toner Recycling

How to recycle Brother toner cartridges?

To participate in Brother’s toner cartridge recycling program, as we already mentioned above, you should simply reuse the shipping box from your new Brother toner cartridges to package and send back your used cartridges.

Brother toner cartridge recycling is so simple!

Create a USPS SmartLabel through your Brother account for free shipping. Recycle Brother toner!

If you do not have a Brother account, create a new account to register your product(s) and print the shipping label. Attach the label to your package, so it is clearly visible by any mail carriers. Drop your package off anywhere in the U.S. Postal Service system. No additional postage or insurance is needed for Brother toner cartridge recycling.

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Brother Ink Cartridge Recycling

Got empty Brother ink cartridges to recycle?

The process is still the same – reuse the shipping box your ink cartridges came in to ship them back!

First, you’ll need to create an online account with Brother. This will let you print a USPS SmartLabel. Attach the label to your package, seal it up, and drop it off at any U.S. Postal Service mailbox or post office. Shipping is on Brother!

To learn more about recycling Brother printer cartridges for cash click here.

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Epson Cartridges Recycling

Epson claims to respect the earth and recognizes its responsibility for keeping its ink and toner cartridges out of landfills.

As a result, Epson launched a Product Stewardship Program that enables Epson customers to send back used Epson products for recycling, free of charge. Through Epson’s Product Stewardship Program, you can recycle Epson ink cartridges and recycle Epson toner cartridges.

Epson’s recycling program also recycles Epson hardware — like printers and scanners — free of charge. 

If you have Epson ink or toner cartridges you can recycle them by mail.

Put your empty Epson printer cartridges in a plastic bag and seal it with tape to prevent any leakage. Put your used Epson printer cartridges in an appropriate shipping envelope or box, and ship to:

Epson America, Inc.
Attn: Recycling Center
2350 Stafford Road, Suite 101
Plainfield, IN 46168

If you use AcuLaser CX11N Series cartridges, Epson has an exclusive recycling program just for you.

Visit Epson online and complete the form to receive an electronic pre‑paid mail label to recycle your empty AcuLaser CX11N Series cartridges.

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Lexmark Ink & Toner Recycling

Lexmark offers free and easy cartridge recycling and has since 1991. Lexmark offers environmentally sound choices for recycling its ink and toner cartridges and disposing of its end-of-life hardware, like printers, scanners, and other peripherals.

Click here to learn more about Lexmark ink and toner recycling. 

You can ship multiple empty Lexmark cartridges in a single box. Click here to print a free shipping label.

Here is the official step-by-step video on recycling Lexmark printer cartridges:

https://youtu.be/R3X1B_bIY1Q

To learn more about recycling Lexmark printer cartridges for cash click here.

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Xerox Ink & Toner Recycling

The Xerox Green World Alliance has kept more than 145 million pounds of waste out of landfills over the last two decades.

Click here to learn more about Xerox ink and toner recycling. 

Xerox claims customers return more than 2.5 million cartridges and toner containers annually through the Green World Alliance recycling program. While the company encourages customers to recycle their empty toner cartridges locally, you can also request free shipping boxes from the company. 

You can also recycle Xerox business machines. You pay the shipping cost, and Xerox will cover the recycling costs. 

The shipping address: 

Xerox Corporation
ESSO – Scrap
6500 State Route 63
Middletown, OH 45044

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Oki Ink & Toner Recycling

Okidata‘s partnership with COREFIDO allows you to recycle Oki toner cartridges, image drums, transfer belts, and fusers.

Click here to learn more about Oki ink and toner recycling.

To recycle Oki toner cartridges, follow the instructions below:  

• Remove the used cartridge from the printer.
• Seal it in the bag your new OKI cartridge came in. It’s important to seal the plastic bag tightly to prevent leakage.  
• Place the used cartridge into the new cartridge box. Only pack one empty cartridge per box to prevent damage during shipment.
• Tape the box closed.
• Return to an authorized OKI Data returns location or ship to:

OKIDATA RECLAMATION CENTER
C/O BUFFALO TRANSPORT
21 LASALLE AVE
BUFFALO, NY 14214

If you have questions call 1-800-OKIDATA.

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Panasonic Ink & Toner Recycling

Panasonic, the parent company of Sharp and Toshiba, runs the MRM recycling program. The MRM recycling program collects and recycles all of the company’s e-waste products, from computer printers to toasters. 

To recycle Pansonic ink and toner cartridges, or any Panasonic device, stop by an MRM collection site.  

• Find MRM recycling locations
• View MRM recycling website

To learn more about recycling Panasonic printer cartridges for cash click here.

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Ricoh Ink & Toner Recycling

Ricoh’s been in the imaging business a long time and it takes its mission to reduce CO2 emissions and packaging materials seriously.

The company’s “Environmental Contribution Toners” (EC Toners) are made from partially recycled Ricoh toner cartridges.

Check out this video to learn more about Ricoh’s recycling efforts:

https://youtu.be/IoDsJ5TvYLw

Save your original Ricoh printer cartridge packaging materials!

You can return your empty Ricoh, Savin, and Lanier toner cartridges by packing them up in the cartons they came in. Print out a pre-paid label and return those bad boys to Ricoh!

You can recycle your empty Ricoh ink and toner cartridges in three different ways:

1. If your cartridges have shipping labels inside (UPS or FedEx), remove that label, and place your empty cartridge inside the box. Seal the box, and tape the prepaid shipping label to the outside. Follow the return instruction on the shipping label. 
2. If you are returning multiple empty Ricoh printer cartridges, you can pack several cartridges in one large box (in fact, you’ll be reducing CO2 emissions if you do). Just make sure the packed box weighs less than 25 pounds and adheres to UPS shipping guidelines. Pack your empty toner cartridges into one box and seal it up. Make sure you tape the seams well. Tape the Ricoh pre-paid shipping label to the package and drop it off at any UPS shipping location. 
3. Don’t have a prepaid shipping label inside the box? Click here to print a prepaid Ricoh shipping label. But before you pack up your empty Ricoh printer cartridges, you’ll need to find the product’s EDP code. Once you print your pre-paid shipping label, pack and seal your box of empty Ricoh printer cartridges and tape the label to the outside. Drop the package off at any UPS shipping location. 

Click here to learn more about Ricoh ink and toner recycling.

How to find EDP code on Ricoh printer cartridge?

You can find the EDP code on the original printer cartridge packaging and/or on the printer cartridge itself. The EDP code is an internal sorting code that differentiates between Ricoh, Savin, and Lanier products. You’ll need the EDP code before you print out a return label.

You need only one EDP code even if you’re returning multiple cartridges.

To learn more about recycling Ricoh printer cartridges for cash click here.

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Samsung Ink & Toner Recycling

Samsung supports manufacturer responsibility and responsible recycling. As a subsidiary of HP, Samsung follows many of the same recycling procedures. HP Planet Partners Program is HP’s recycling program for computer equipment and printing supplies.

To begin recycling Samsung ink and toner cartridges, follow these steps:

1. Go to HP’s Product return and recycling.
2. Scroll down the page and in the Recycle tab, select your country from the “Please select your country” drop-down list.
3. Click “HP ink and toner cartridges,” followed by “Samsung toner cartridges.”
4. On the HP/Samsung Supplies Recycling page, use one of the following methods to recycle your old cartridge:

⮞ Method one: Drop it off

Click Drop it off to view the Authorized Retail Collection Locations to drop off your empty or old cartridges.

1. Staples
2. Office Depot
3. Walmart
4. Best Buy

⮞ Method two: Mail it in

Click the “Send To HP” button on the web page. HP will send you postage-paid shipping materials. You can also arrange a pallet pickup to return your printing supplies.

1. Select the type of supplies you are returning from the drop-down list.
2. Select the number of supplies to return.
3. Type the number of envelopes or boxes required to return the cartridges.
4. Click Order.
5. In the Contact Information section, type the information required, and then click Submit.

Click here to learn more about Samsung ink and toner recycling.

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Sharp Ink & Toner Recycling

You have a couple of options for recycling Sharp toner cartridges.

The first option is to mail them back to Sharp (at your cost). Ship empty Sharp toner cartridges to:

Sharp Recycling
2051 Meridian Place
Hebron, KY 41048

The second option is “Order a Bulk Recycling Kit” from Sharp. The free kit includes three pre-labeled collection/shipping cartons, as well as plastic bags and ties to seal your empty cartridges prior to shipping.

The company also offers free bulk shipping to recycle your Sharp toner cartridges.

Click here to learn more about Sharp ink and toner recycling.

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Dell Ink & Toner Recycling

Dell encourages you to drop empty ink and toner cartridges off at the local recycling center. But the company has also partnered with FedEx to deliver a free mail-back recycling program. You can responsibly recycle Sharp toner cartridges and ink cartridges without ever leaving your home! 

Dell will pick up any Dell product for free, anywhere in the United States through the FedEx Package Return Program.

To properly recycle your equipment through this service, please review the following steps: 

• Locate your unique identification number, also called the service tag, on the outside of the equipment. 
• Complete the Online Waybill form and print your shipping label. 
• Package your equipment and affix the shipping label. 
• Drop off at a local FedEx location or call (800) Go-FedEx (800-463-3339) to schedule your pickup. Let FedEx know you would like to schedule a pickup for the Dell Package Return Program. 
• In addition, if you buy a new Dell product, Dell will recycle your old computer even if it isn’t a Dell-branded product. Just select “free recycling” when you are customizing your new system and Dell will recycle your old electronic equipment at no cost to you, anywhere in the US. 

Click here to learn more about Dell ink and toner recycling.

Click here to learn more about recycling Dell printer cartridges for cash.

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Ink & Toner Recycling – Staples

Staples runs a robust Ink and toner cartridge recycling program that encourages repeat customers.

Customers who spend at least $30 on ink and toner at Staples can recycle their empty cartridges at any Staples store, or request a free shipping label.

Customers earn $2 back in Staples Rewards for each empty ink and toner cartridge they return. This is good for up to 10 cartridges per month.

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Ink & Toner Recycling – Walmart

You can actually service most of your Ink and toner cartridge recycling needs at Walmart.

Many printer cartridge manufacturers list Walmart as an authorized recycling facility, including Kodak and HP. 

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Ink & Toner Recycling – Office Depot

Visit any Office Depot store with your empty printer cartridges and you can earn $3 back in Worklife Recycling Rewards.

This offer is good for HP, Lexmark, Dell, and Office Depot brand inkjet cartridges, and HP, Dell, Canon, Brother, Lexmark, and Office Depot brand toner cartridges.

Office Depot allows customers to recycle up to five ink cartridges per day.

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Ink & Toner Recycling – Walgreens

Ink and toner cartridge recycling at Walgreens is simple. Over a decade ago, Walgreens began collecting printer cartridges and old cell phones for recycling.

Some Walgreens locations also offer inkjet cartridge refilling, which can save you some money and save the environment some stress.

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Ink & Toner Recycling – Best Buy

Like Staples, Best Buy also offers a $2 store credit for each ink and toner cartridge you recycle at its stores.

With Best Buy’s recycling program, cartridge recycling is simple — just drop your empty printer cartridges into the recycling kiosk located just inside the front doors of your local Best Buy.

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Ink & Toner Recycling – Target

Ink and toner cartridge recycling at Target is also simple.

Every store has an electronics recycling kiosk out front where you can recycle plastics, aluminum, glass, and electronics.

Toss your empty ink and/or toner cartridges in the Target e-waste recycling kiosk and you’re done!

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FAQ:

Where can I recycle printer cartridges?

You can recycle printer cartridges at almost any big office supply store, or mail them back to the manufacturer. You can also recycle your printer cartridges at most municipal recycling centers.

Is it better to recycle or refill ink cartridges?

Opinions differ, but we prefer recycling ink cartridges rather than refilling them. Refilled cartridges show too much variation in quality to be beneficial.

Are there any other cartridge recycling programs?

You can recycle your printer cartridges at most municipal recycling centers in addition to dropping them off at an office supply store or mailing them back to the manufacturer.

Is it acceptable to put empty ink cartridges in the recycle bin? 

Nope. Nah. No. Recycle your empty ink cartridges! You can recycle printer cartridges at almost any big office supply store, or mail them back to the manufacturer. You can also recycle your printer cartridges at most municipal recycling centers.

Further reading:

• Eye-Opening Recycling Statistics [U.S. and World]