There are over one and a half billion ink cartridges consumed annually and this is set to continue to rise with greater print capability and the rise of digital photography allowing us to print photographs and work without the need for external specialists.

Most of these ink cartridges end up in landfill and this represents a huge waste of resources and after diapers, ink cartridges are the most environmentally difficult to break down. Fortunately, modern methods of refilling and recycling ink and toner cartridges coupled with the high cost of buying them new means that there is a huge commercial benefit to be gained from using these products again.

With an ink toner cartridge costing around $200 for some makes of printer, the cartridge itself represents a significant dollar item with the total cost of printing. Recycling the ink or toner cartridge means that we get the most effective use of it while minimizing the environmental impact of disposal in a landfill. Even smaller lower value cartridges can be recycled and resold in a commercially viable way. For many business and home users, the actual incentive for recycling tends not to be so great and that is why many cartridges simply end up in the trash. A little research on your part will reveal a host of commercial and charitable organizations that will happily provide you with free post packs for you to send off the used cartridge or provide a drop off point in your local neighborhood for you to dispose of them safely and conveniently.

Many non-profit organizations have tapped into the ink cartridges recycling market as a means of improving their funds for altruistic purposes. Charities that are currently using recycling cartridges to augment their funds include many children’s charities operating at home and abroad as well as leading cancer research groups. If you are a local non-profit group, such as a church or local school, it is easy to set up a recycling cartridge program as many of the recycling companies that specialize in this market provide off the shelf resources for you to quickly market and operate a collection program.

Aside from helping raise funds for charities and non-profit groups, recycling ink and toner cartridges helps to protect the environment. We’ve already mentioned how most cartridges end up in landfill, while the actual resources used in the manufacture of the cartridge case to begin with is substantial. Putting a cartridge through a recycling process means that a new one need not be manufactured using valuable environmental resources, reducing energy consumption and creating one less cartridge to eventually be disposed of at the end of it’s life. Some estimate that recycling cartridges can reduce waste and environmental pollution from these products by as much as 90% so it makes not only charitable commercial sense but environmental sense to recycle.

Remember, dropping your ink cartridge off at a recycle bin or posting it off in a free postage bag will take only a brief moment of your time, help someone else in need and save our environment. There’s no reason not to do it!

Easyinkz an expert in ink cartridges recycling find a great range of recycled products at http://www.easyinkz.co.uk.