How to Recycle Your Toner Cartridge
23rd January, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments
When you recycle your toner cartridge you will benefit yourself financially and the environment globally. These days throwing your toner cartridge in the trash is a waste; it’s like throwing your money away!
The primary way to save money and a piece of the planet simultaneously regarding your toner cartridges is to to recharge them with new toner. Manufacturers can replace the drums and other important parts with new ones. Additionally, some retail shops accept trade-ins for spent toner cartridges when you purchase a new one from them. These cartridges are then filled with new toner before being sold at a reduced rate in comparison to brand new ones. Self-refill kits are also available.
Multiple types of refill kits are available for cartridges, depending on the type you need for your system. These kits make recycling toner cartridges simple and cheap. Most refill kits come with instructions, and the toner is inside a plastic bottle. There are no special tools required other than soldering iron to refill the cartridge. Here are four basic steps on how to recycle your toner cartridge.
1. Take the toner cartridge off the printer.
2. Burn a small fill hole into the cartridge casing with the soldering iron. (Using a drill is out of the question because it will cause small bits of plastic to fall into the toner chamber.)
3. Pour the toner in through the fill hole. Per manufacturer’s directions, add only a portion of the toner to the cartridge’s toner rather than filling it completely. This is particularly important if the cartridge has been refilled more than one time.
4. Use tape to seal the soldered hole after you’ve poured enough toner in the cartridge.
Take care when handling the toner, as it can damage clothing, furniture, carpet, etc. Further, many toners are hazardous; therefore, take necessary precautions by wearing gloves and keep it out of children’s reach.
Toner cartridges are largely non-biodegradable and are therefore destined for landfills, but if you recycle your toner cartridges or buy re-manufactured ones you eliminate waste and save landfill space — which saves on disposal costs.
If you don’t want to risk making a mess, you can buy re-manufactured toner cartridges. These are available from your local office suppliers and specialty stores. In fact, there are retailers that will pick up your used toner cartridges upon delivery of a newly purchased re-manufactured cartridge. Also, over the last few years toner cartridge re-manufacturers have improved their technology to the extent that the quality can meet the manufacturer’s OEM standards. Moreover, few re-manufactured cartridges produce poor quality or prints or exhibit signs of malfunction and/or leakage.
About the Author: Megan Barlow assists others to learn and apply green and sustainable living practices. For more information, please visit her blog on Green Building and Design.
Source Article: How to Recycle Your Toner Cartridge
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