We all use them – we hate spending a lot for them – and worse yet, we know there must be a better solution than throwing them out. Every year, hundreds of millions of ink and toner cartridges are used in this country. And 70% of those end up in our landfills! You can Do Your Part by giving these plastic ink containers another life.

Printer cartridges are actually easily refilled and recycled. In fact, cartridge recycling is becoming a big business. Demand is so great that many companies will even pay you to recycle your used cartridges. You can earn anywhere from a few cents to $20 or more per cartridge. There are a number of online sources that will supply a pre-paid shipping label to mail accepted cartridges in exchange for cash. Or you can turn in your used cartridges for recycling at Office Max, Staples and Office Depot and earn a $3 store credit for every accepted cartridge. Schools and other non-profit organizations have discovered that creating a used cartridge collection program can be a beneficial source of needed funds.

You can also Do Your Part the next time you need to buy a new cartridge by seeking out refilled or recycled ink and toner cartridges. They’re up to 70% cheaper than new ones, but be sure to buy from reputable retailer to ensure your getting a quality product. You’ll also want to check the warranty on your printer before using recycled cartridges.

Refilling and recycling printer cartridges just makes sense. And now it can also mean dollars saved in your wallet.