Spent Cartridges? Take 'em back.

Printer cartridges are one of the biggest, most wasteful expenses for a computer user—inkjet cartridges, priced around $40, cost less than $3 to manufacture. Further, they send plastic (2.5 pounds for a laser cartridge) and ink into landfills, are difficult to clean and separate into base materials in recycling, and are predictably environmentally unfriendly in their manufacture (3 quarts of oil to make one laser cartridge). Recycled (or, more accurately, refilled or remanufactured) cartridges are increasingly available, with a 15 percent market share, but demand now exceeds supply—only 20 percent of used cartridges are currently remanufactured, and 375,000,000 go to landfills each year. For reasons economic and environmental, therefore, Staples offers an incentive to customers to return their cartridges: the store will donate $1 to charity for every cartridge submitted for remanufacturing. You should reward Staples for its initiative, and encourage other large retailers to do the same or better:

Take Action

Dear ______________:

I am a loyal customer of your store—last year I spent $___ here. But, as you may be aware and as I've recently learned, Staples donates $1 to educational charity for every printer cartridge recycled at its stores. I'm dedicated to the environment, and this gesture of theirs tempts me to give them my business—every thrown-out laser cartridge wastes quarts of oil and sends pounds of plastic to the landfill. Surely it would be in your economic interest, as well as in the world's environmental interest, to accept cartridges for refilling and to give your customers similar incentive to return them. I hope to continue patronizing your fine store in the future.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

More info:

You can check for local locations of Staples and smaller recyclers at Earth911.org: look for "Toner Cartridge" and "Inkjet Cartridges" on the Reuse & Recycling Centers page. It doesn't appear that any other major chains are accepting cartridges, making your letter all the more valuable. If you'd rather receive your own reward for recycling, sites like www.myinkcartridge.com pay your collection fees and offer you credit toward your next purchase.