There’s little worse than not knowing what to do with something once it’s served its purpose. When it comes to ink cartridges, you might be at a loss for what to do with your empty cartridges. Throwing them away is not really an option, since you don’t know if the ink is toxic or how long the plastic will take to biodegrade. So how do you go about getting rid of something that seems useless? Well, there are several options.

Refill the cartridge

This may be the most obvious way of recycling old cartridges. More reusing than recycling, refilling cartridges can be cheaper, since a refill kit is essentially just the inks with some apparatus to get the ink into the cartridge.

This can get messy, and many people have had bad experiences with refills. PC World found that refilled cartridges often fail more, need refilling more quickly and print lower quality images. Still, it can be a good option for people who do not want to have to pay so much for new cartridges.

Get cash for recycling

Some people would rather get paid for their old stuff. Companies that recycle computers, mobile phones and gold are all over the internet, and similarly, there are sites that pay you for your old ink cartridges. Sites like CashforCartridges.co.uk and RecycleAid.co.uk offer to pay up to $7 per cartridge.

This obviously comes with some catches. First, they pay UP TO that amount, which, like with the mobile phone recycling companies, usually means the cartridge for your old printer will probably not get nearly that much money. Second, some of the sites only pay in “high street vouchers”, without naming specific shops, which could be next to useless if their vouchers aren’t for shops you go to.

As with all things that seem like a great deal, you need to do your research to make sure you know what you’re getting into.

Donate old cartridges to charity

It may seem odd, but charities often accept old ink cartridges. The Red Cross take used ink cartridges and sell them on, getting $1.50 for each cartridge. That $1.50 can pay for the treatment of three cholera sufferers, making that cartridge a wonderful donation. Many great charities accept ink cartridges, so check with your favourite ones to see if they do.

A lot of the sites that pay you for your old cartridges also have an option to donate some or all of the money they would have given to you to a charity, too, so you can donate to charity and get paid for your old cartridges.

Earn reward points from major office supply retailers

Staples have an ink and toner recycling program that allows you to earn staple rewards for sending your old ink or toner cartridges to them. Each ink or toner cartridge will earn you $2 back in staple rewards. That might not seem like a lot of money, but it could be a better rate than you get at some of the sites that pay you for your old cartridges. Check with any major office supply retailer around you to see if they offer an ink recycling program.

Help schools by recycling cartridges

Schools and universities can benefit from ink cartridge recycling, too. They can sign up to the paying sites and then get students and parents to donate old cartridges. There are a number of supermarkets and stores that offer an ink recycling programme for schools and clubs. Schools can get more money by sending in old ink cartridges, including ones parents have donated.

As you can see, there are many ways to recycle your old ink cartridges. Now all you have to do is decide which way is right for you!

Author Bio:

This guest post was created by Clickinks, an online distributor of printer ink cartridges and toners for your home or place of business. Search by printer model or cartridge number to find the exact ink and toner you need. Clickinks has over 1 million products in their inventory including items from major brands like HP ink cartridges.