Recycle Printer Cartridges and More

Today I noticed a Walgreens bag in our apartment that said “Recycle Your Printer Cartridges at Walgreens”. That got me thinking - how many things, other than the obvious plastics and papers, do we throw away that can be recycled?

Printer Cartridge Recycling - In 2004, 14,000 tons of printer cartridges ended up in landfill. I always knew that you could recycle printer cartridges but it’s something I just never did. Actually I’m ashamed to say that I’ve gone through many printers in my lifetime, when I probably didn’t need to buy a new one. This all adds up in the landfills. The best deal I could find is that Staples will give you a $3 store credit for every empty ink cartridge that you turn in, so raid your office’s printers and check out the Staples Recycling Program. Your local school, office supply store or photo shop may also be able to take your printer cartridges for recycling.

Fluorescent Light Bulb Recycling - Fluorescent Light Bulbs, including those Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs that are a more energy efficient, unfortunately contain mercury - which means that they should not be disposed of with normal waste. In fact, it is illegal in the states of California, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin to dispose of Fluorescent Bulbs as universal waste. The best way to recycle your Fluorescent Light Bulbs is to contact your local hardware store.

Battery Recycling - We use batteries in so many different things. Phones, CD Players, Flashlights, Games. These batteries contain a lot of stuff that’s bad for the environment, and they also contain a lot of metals that can be useful for future products. Instead of throwing your batteries in the trash, check out BatteryRecycling.com . Your local hardware store may also offer battery recycling so when you call about your light bulbs, ask them about your 9 volts too!

Motor Oil Recycling - Motor oil should always be recycled. Even my father, a man who wasn’t very concerned about the environment, always made sure to dispose of his motor oil properly. Obviously oil can have some nasty effects on the environment, so it’s a good thing that it is so easy for us to recycle it. Recycled Motor Oil can be re-refined and used again. All you need to do is put your oil into a sealed container (milk jug, coffee can, jar, etc) and take it to your local service station. They have a special container that they will use to store the oil until their distributor comes to take it away.

Cellphone Recycling - Cellphones are the one item on this list that can be reused. Not only will you be saving the landfill, you’ll be helping out someone less fortunate that yourself. If you have a cellphone that you no longer use, there is likely a non-profit organization that would be happy to take it off your hands. Non-profit organizations distribute cellphones to battered women or other people that can use the phones for emergency or other calls. For more information check out Support Network for Battered Women, DonateAPhone.com or stop by your local Cellular Phone Store.

I hope you found this article to be useful. If you have anything for me to add to this list, feel free to leave a comment and I will be happy to append your ideas to this post.