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Procedure for Recycling Inkjet Printer Cartridges at UNC:

Students can recycle their printer cartridges in the area offices of their housing communities.  Clear display jugs  are located in each area office.  Just drop it off in the jug!

UNC Employees can recycle their inkjet printer cartridges by sending it through campus mail to the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling (OWRR) - CB # 1800.  You can also request mailing bags (postage is paid for, just drop it off at a mailbox!)

 

 

Fact Sheet - Printer Cartridges

Fact: In 1992, more than 10 million discarded laser printer toner cartridges were disposed of in landfills. Currently, less than 10% of these cartridges are being recycled.

Fact: The plastic used in an average printer cartridge is made from approximately half a quart of petroleum oil. Recycling these cartridges could save a million gallons of oil a year.


Procedure for Recycling Toner Cartridges at UNC:

  1. For easy storage, keep the toner cartridge box.
  2. When a cartridge is finished, place it in the box.
  3. Wait until the next time you have a delivery from Central Receiving, or call them at 843-2008 for pick-up of your used cartridge or fill out their online form at http://finance.unc.edu/images/stories/forms_mds/recycletoner.pdf.
  4. Various brands of toner cartridges ordered through Staples or other office supply stores can usually be returned directly to the manufacturer for recycling.  Look for a UPS (or similar) prepaid mailing label in the new toner box.  Put the old toner cartridge in the box, stick the mailing label on the box, and send out with your next UPS delivery (or drop off at any Mail Boxes Etc., or similar location).  
  5. Purchase recycled toner cartridges next time you order more.
***** If you begin to use a new cartridge and find that it is in some way faulty, the cartridge can be returned to central receiving (if this is where you ordered it from), but make sure to have the requisition number for it; some people find it helps to write the requisition number on the box when the cartridge is delivered. Call central receiving for pick-up. *****

Source Reduction: Send your used toner cartridges back to the company you purchased them from since most companies can reuse them - look for the mailing label inside the new box. Then close the loop by only buying toner cartridges that have been recycled. Also, use the correct type of paper in your copier/printer so that your toner cartridges last as long as possible.
 

Cartiges in the Storeroom

Here is a sample of the toner cartridges ready for shipment to be recycled. It takes many hours from central receiving to prepare the cartridges for shipment.

Sources:

"Recycle Your Toner Cartridges." Graphics Arts Monthly. Jan., 1992.
Javina, John. "Recycling Tips." Earth Works. March 4, 1991.
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