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Why is it so difficult to recycle toner cartridges?
It's fairly easy to recycle/refill old INK cartridges, but toner cartridges are a real problem. I have already discovered:
if you search for "recycle toner cartridges" you get a lot of search results, but most companies don't actually take TONER cartridges (from laser printers).
It doesn't look like you can refill them yourself. ( believe they work by releasing a powder which is heat-sealed to the paper.)
In the instructions the picture shows putting the old cartridge into the bin, but really, it's a big item and I believe they have toxic elements in them. Surely it's possible for companies to recharge them?
In our supposedly "green" age, why do the big boys make it so difficult for the consumer to act responsibly?
The model is DELL 1160w B&W laser printer.
Any solutions?
Comments
Epson inkjet cartridges can't be recycled through these recycling schemes, but they will send you little postage bags for sending them back for recycling- well Holland...
Neph, what is a continuous ink supply, can you get one for any printer or only some? And which printers can you get one for, and are they the sort of printers that also photocopy, scan etc?
Quite a dangerous powder, do be careful not to get any on yourself. [/quote]
That's correct, and is also the reason that Konica advised us that the cartridges are not recyclable. To quote the engineer when my church warden suggested emptying the excess powder in the bin and washing the cartridge out under the tap; "Don't. Seriously, you don't want that stuff on your skin, or worse still in your lungs. Forget your concern for the environment for once, and just bin it. End of."