Why Recycle Printer Cartridges
Why Recycle Printer Cartridges
Printers make all types of tasks easier. Whether you have to print out essays, homework, important documents or even make copies, printers have been make to provide all types of activities from scanning to faxing. One of the most questions of today's printer uses is whether recycling printer cartridges matters. Ink cartridges are actually hazardous to the environment. They have various parts that do no biodegrade and contain harmful chemicals. In order to prevent environmental waste and pollution, it's essential to recycle ink cartridges as much as possible.
Landfill Waste
By simply throwing out printer cartridges, they typically end up in landfills. The cartridge is plastic and the ink is chemical and oil based. It never biodegrades. As more cartridges pile up in landfills, it creates a massive amount of waste that goes into the soil and even moves through the environment through wind and animal interference. It's a poison that slowly grows just like anything else that is made with hazardous chemicals and can't biodegrade over time.
Packaging Environmental Impact
The packaging and creation of cartridges is another reason why people consider recycling printer cartridges. The outside packaging comes from timber, and the plastic to create the cartridge comes from crude oil. It's a waste of fossil fuels, and when amassed together, it's an even bigger waste of materials. The amount of plastics that are not biodegradable are filling up landfills until it has no other place to go but into the environment.
It's Easy to Recycle
There are a few different programs in place to make recycling printer cartridges quite easy. You can use a take back program from a manufacturer. Most ink cartridge manufacturers have a recycling program and even include recycling materials in the packaging for their products. They pay the shipping and handling for you to send back the cartridges so it's free. You can also find refillable and re-manufactured printer cartridges or stop by a drop off location like Home Depot or Staples to get rid of your old cartridges.
As the world moves towards more awareness of environmental hazards, the trend has also leaned towards recycled printer cartridges and other methods to print without damaging the planet any further.