FAQs
- What is an inkjet cartridge?
- What is a laser toner?
- Why recycle?
- What is the environmental impact of not recycling?
- What happens to cartridges that are saved from landfill?
- Do you accept all kinds of cartridges, toners, and mobile phones?
- Why don’t you recycle Epson inkjet cartridges?
- What else can I recycle with you?
- Is EBP WEEE compliant?
- Will it cost me anything?
- I am running out of inkjet recycling bags, how can I obtain more?
- I can’t find my bag registration number
What is an inkjet cartridge?
Inkjet cartridges are smaller cartridges that fit into printers usually used at home at in small office environments. As suggested by the name they work by allowing ink to flow onto the paper. They come in both colour and black varieties.
What is a laser toner?
Laser toners are a lot bigger than inkjet cartridges and used in the larger scale laser printers which are usually found in bigger offices. They work by holding dry ink toner which is then fused to the paper using heat. They used to be mainly black toners, but colour is now more readily available.
Why recycle?
You wouldn’t throw away your printer just because it ran out of paper; you certainly wouldn’t throw away your car because you run out of petrol. So why throw away a perfectly good print cartridge just because it runs out of toner or ink? We can recycle all sorts of ink and toner cartridges. Recycling reduces the amount of landfill waste and reduces the amount of raw material needed to produce new products.
What is the environmental impact of not recycling?
Around 700 million cartridges were thrown away worldwide in 2003 and this has risen year on year since. The recovery and reuse of toner and inkjet cartridges reduces landfill by millions of cubic feet of non-biodegradable material. Each discarded empty laser printer cartridge adds approximately 1.5kgs of unnecessary waste. Cartridges account for as much as 15,000 tonnes of waste plastic and metal in the UK alone. The plastic used in each printer cartridge is estimated to take 1,000 years to decompose.
What happens to cartridges that are saved from landfill?
Undamaged inkjet cartridges are 100% recyclable. The cartridges are physically and electronically checked, cleaned, refilled, and repackaged for resale. Inkjet cartridges that do not pass our stringent quality control are recycled as scrap and the plastic is used in other products such as canal lining.
Laser toners are checked and graded, then prepared for remanufacturing. Each component is thoroughly inspected and cleaned. Any parts that are worn or fail are sent for scrap recycling. The remaining parts will then be used to build the cartridge into a product as good as the original cartridge.
Mobile phones are checked and refitted for use in developing countries. Phones that cannot be salvaged are broken down into their component parts and recycled.
Do you accept all kinds of cartridges, toners, and mobile phones?
Unfortunately not. Please use the online checker to identify if yours is suitable for recycling and reuse.
Why don’t you recycle Epson inkjet cartridges?
Unfortunately, because of the design of the Epson cartridges, it is not financially cost effective to remanufacture these cartridges. This is not unique to us, but the case for all recycling and remanufacturing companies.
What else can I recycle with you?
We are only able to accept inkjet, toners and mobile phones as indicated by our online checking tool. For plastics, paper, cans and cardboard please contact your local authority.Is EBP WEEE compliant?
The WEEE directive does not cover cartridges or laser toners. Mobile phones will be accepted for recycling by your local retailer. However, to ensure the best use of your old phone, please send them back using our freepost recycling bags.
Will it cost me anything?
No. You can request collection bags here or call us freephone on 0800 435576. For laser collections please print your address label here. We pay all postage; it won’t cost you a penny.
I am running out of inkjet recycling bags, how can I obtain more?
You can request collection bags here or call us freephone on 0800 435576.
I can’t find my bag registration number
The bag registration number is a unique code that allows us to link your donation to you and your chosen beneficiary. It is below the “3 Easy Steps” instructions on your bag and looks like this.
If your bag does not have a registration number, or the number is not accepted when you type it in, it may be that you have an older charity recycling bag. Please return your items using the bag and we will make a donation as usual. However, as these bags cannot be registered, we cannot link this donation to you personally and your donation will not be eligible for Gift Aid on this occasion. If you wish to add Gift Aid, please order for new Each One Counts bags here.
