old cartridges

It finally happened. I ran out of ink on my little ink jet printer. Ever wonder what to do with all those empty ink and toner cartridges you end up with from your printer? There are a slew of options available now. Not only are they easy to do, but in some cases you can get paid to recycle! I'm sure there are loads of places offering this service, but here are some ones I have found:

Recycle 4 Kids is a group I found online which lets you print a prepaid shipping label to recycle your empty inkjet and toner cartridges. They pay fees for each cartridge you send which can either be applied as a donation to various children's charities or as a fund raiser for your own group (such as a school).

EcoPhones another fund-raising model which accepts cell phones, ink jet cartridges and DVDs.

Print Country provides mailers for the return and recycling of ink jet cartridges (and they also sell new cartridges).

Second Rotation will purchase your consumer lifestyle goods (such as consumer electronics, including digital cameras, camcorders, cell phones, GPS systems and MP3 players) and then resell them on ebay. The website will help you determine the value of your gear.

And finally, another option I found here locally (in my Whole Foods store, of course) is Green Citizen. You don't get paid for your items, but you don't have to mess with shipping or saving up a certain quantity. Their in-store kiosks accept plastic bags, cell phones, batteries, ink cartridges, and CD/DVDs. You can even bring larger electronics to one their drop-off centers or have them pick up from your small business.

Of course, when it comes to large electronics you can always check Earth 911 for recycling options in your area.

And if by chance I find out that my kids' schools are hosting a fund raising program for cartridges, such as mentioned above, I'll have you send all your old ones to me! Just kidding.