Business & Tech

Printer Cartridges Don't Have to Damage the Environment

In North America alone, more than 350 million cartridges are discarded in landfills per year.

A press release from Cartridge World.

The amount of money spent on printer cartridges and the amount of time and space they use in landfills to decompose is shocking, according to Robert Wilson, owner of Cartridge World - Suffield.

Commemorating April 22, Earth Day, Cartridge World is reminding businesses, schools and customers that printer cartridges don’t have to damage the environment or break the bank.

“People don’t realize the impact that printer cartridges have on the environment,” said Wilson. “In North America alone, more than 350 million cartridges are discarded in landfills per year. Cartridge World offers an alternative that is earth-friendly and cost-effective. We recycle more than 4.5 million printer cartridges annually. Plus, each Cartridge World customer saves up to 30 percent off the cost of the equivalent OEM cartridge at a big box store.”

The following statistics shed light on the impact of printer cartridges on the environment:

  • Alone, HP ships more than 52 million printers per year. Most consumers buy three to four ink cartridges three times per year for their printer at home, which produces 600 million empty cartridges.
  • Almost eight printer cartridges are thrown away per second in the United States.
  • It takes about a gallon of oil to make a new laser cartridge.
  • Every laser cartridge that Cartridge World remanufactures saves nearly 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic waste from being deposited in landfills.
  • Seventy percent of used printer cartridges throughout the world are currently discarded.
  • A laser cartridge thrown into a landfill can take up to 450 years to decompose. Some components made of industrial grade plastics will take over 1,000 years to decompose.
To help reduce our carbon footprint, Cartridge World - Suffield offers recycling programs for local organizations, schools, businesses and consumers. Parents, teachers and office managers are encouraged to request a “recycle” box for their school or office to collect empty cartridges. Parents can further participate in a printer cartridge recycling and fundraising program in which they can raise money for their local participating school by dropping off empty cartridges at the school. In exchange for the empty cartridges, Cartridge World - Suffield will pay the school based on the quantity collected.

Customers may recycle their empty ink and toner cartridges at any Cartridge World store, including Cartridge World - Suffield. Some Cartridge World stores also accept small electronics recycling, such as cell phones.


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