If you have a printer at home, you know that the cost of ink cartridges can add up quickly. However, you can recoup some of that cost by recycling your ink cartridges. There are a few different ways that you can recycle your ink cartridges and make money in the process, and the best part is you’ll be environmentally friendly.
If you throw ink cartridges away, there’s a good chance they will end up in a landfill. While it may seem harmless, this can have negative long-term consequences for our planet. Ink cartridges don’t break down easily in a landfill, so they could end up there for hundreds of years without fully decomposing. Recycling ink cartridges also saves the energy that would have been used to make new ones. It even helps us conserve resources, as the plastic and other materials in the ink cartridge are reusable. Depending on the condition of the ink cartridge, they may just need a quick refill in order to be used again.
While you can recycle ink cartridges at your local recycling center, why not make some money in the process? Here’s how you can make money and recycle at the same time.
Bring Them To An Office Supply Store
If you shop regularly at places like Staples or Office Depot, this could be a good solution for you. Both of these massive office supply stores offer ink cartridge recycling through their rewards programs. At both stores, you’ll be able to turn in a maximum of 10 ink cartridges each month. They pay $2 per ink cartridge in the form of store credit.
At both stores, you’ll need to be a member of their customer rewards program in order to get credit for recycling the ink cartridges. At Office Depot, you will need to make at least $10 in qualifying purchases per month before you can recycle your ink cartridges. You’ll need to make sure that your ink cartridges are undamaged. At the end of the month, you’ll get your store credit emailed to you, and then you can print the coupon out to use in store or use it online.
Staples also requires you to shop with them before you can start turning in ink cartridges. However, their requirements are a bit different. You’ll need to spend at least $30 on either ink cartridges or toner before you can recycle. These purchases can be made up to 180 days before you start recycling. Like Office Depot, you can make these purchases either online or in store as long as the transaction is associated with your customer rewards number. Then, you’ll be able to recycle the cartridges in store, and you’ll get credit at the end of the billing cycle. Your rewards will automatically be added to your account at this point.
If you need to shop for office supplies regularly, this approach could help you save money on your essentials. However, it’s important to remember that not all products in the store will be eligible for purchase with the rewards money. If you’d prefer to receive credit for your ink cartridges in cash, don’t worry – there are other approaches that you can use.
Sell Them To A Cartridge Buyback Program
Another approach is to sell your ink cartridges through a buyback program. There are many websites that will buy your ink cartridges and pay you directly in cash for them. They typically will cover the cost of shipping as well. Many people prefer the convenience of this approach – you don’t have to go into a store to recycle the cartridges, and you’re not limited with how you spend the reward money. The payment you’ll receive for each cartridge varies depending on the type of cartridge you are recycling as well as the site you go through.
There many online programs that offer ink cartridge recycling. Here are a few that we like:
– Evolve Recycling: This site is one of the leaders in recycling ink cartridges. It’s free to create an account, and they send you all of the materials that you would need to mail in your recyclable cartridges. What makes this site stand out is the broad range of ink cartridges that they will accept. They accept both inkjet and laser cartridges from a wide range of manufacturers. Pay varies depending on what type of cartridges you send in.
To mail in your cartridges, you’ll need to have at least 20 pounds or $20 worth to send. Once the cartridges arrive and have been processed, the money will be credited to your account. You’ll be able to track the shipment and see when your ink cartridges have been processed. Once your account has $25 or more, they will send you a check automatically.
– USrecycleink.com: This platform accepts both ink and toner cartridges – either empties or unused products. The amount you’ll receive for each item varies depending on the manufacturer and specific model. Toner cartridges in particular can be very lucrative – sometimes they’ll be worth over $20 each! To sell with them, you can either fill out an online form or contact their customer service over the phone. You’ll need to have over 20 pounds or $20 of cartridges to send in, just as with Evolve Recycling. They also have bulk recycling programs for businesses, schools, and nonprofits. They’ll send you a prepaid shipping label for your ink cartridges. You’ll be paid for your cartridges within two weeks after they’ve arrived at their facility. Payment is made in the form of a check mailed to you.
– TonerBuyer.com: This site has been around for a long time and is a reliable way to sell ink cartridges. To sell empty cartridges, you’ll need to fill out a form online with information about the cartridges as well as your contact information. Then, they’ll send you a shipping label with further details about how to mail in your items. You will receive payment three weeks after your ink cartridges have been processed. They also purchase brand new toner, printers, fax machines, and other office supplies.
– NeedEmpty: This company is unique in that they purchase used ink and toner cartridges and then work directly with other businesses to refill them. They only accept ink and toner cartridges that have not been refilled before. You’ll also need to have a significant collection of cartridges saved up in order to send them in – either 100 ink cartridges or 50 toner cartridges.
To send your cartridges in, you’ll start by filling out a form on the NeedEmpty website. You’ll need to provide information about the type and condition of each ink cartridge. They’ll assess your form and send you a monetary offer for your cartridges. Once you accept, they’ll send you a pre-paid shipping label. From there, you’ll send in your cartridges for processing and payment.
– Dazz-Cycle: This site takes a unique fundraising approach to buying back ink cartridges. If you’re looking to raise money for a non-profit or school, this is a great approach. Payment varies depending on the type of cartridge you send in – note that they don’t accept cartridges that have been damaged or that have already been refilled. They send a check to your beneficiary of choice within two weeks of receiving your items.
Selling Cartridges on eBay
One of the most effective ways to make money from your old ink cartridges is to sell them on eBay. There’s a market for both empty and unused cartridges on the platform, and payouts are often higher than they would be through recycling sites. There also aren’t any restrictions on the types or models of ink cartridges that you can sell. You’ll need to handle the shipping yourself, but you’ll typically receive a payout faster than you would from a recycling buyback program.
Since eBay can be competitive, you’ll want to make sure that your listing stands out. Selling multiple ink cartridges at once is an effective way to make sure that your listing captures the attention of potential buyers. Make sure you include plenty of detail about the manufacturer and specific model of the ink cartridge, as well as its condition. You can even opt to refill the cartridges yourself and then sell them. Although this is more time consuming, you can get more money for your used cartridges this way. It is also a good deal for the consumer, as they’ll pay less than they would for a new ink cartridge at the store.
Recycling ink cartridges for money is an easy way to make some extra cash, especially if the empty ink cartridges would have just been sitting around in your house. It’s also a good option for schools, businesses, and other organizations that go through ink cartridges on a regular basis. Not only does this reduce the financial burden of paying for ink and toner, but it’s also better for the environment. Luckily, recycling ink cartridges is relatively simple, whether you go through eBay, a local office store, or an ink cartridge buyback program.
