Are you wondering about printer recycling near you? Several possibilities are available for disposing of this item in an environmentally friendly way.
While some will sell their old working gadgets, others donate them to charitable organizations. Reclaiming is another fantastic way to discard these devices, whether functioning or not.
They’ll be reprocessed into new products.
Printer Recycling Near Me
The need to recycle whole printers and ink cartridges will always surface as long as new models are pumped into the market. We have some people who will want to upgrade their scrap devices.
In other cases, they may present such items to communities and individuals who need them. All these are possible ways to dispose of an outdated or damaged printer.
Our discussion for today is going to focus on printer recycling. We’ll discuss the possibility of reclaiming this device, how and where to recycle it, and the kinds of reclaimable printers.
Moreover, we’ll talk about the challenges of recycling and the perks of reprocessing this item. Let’s jump into our discussion right away.
Can you Reclaim Old or Damaged Printers?
Of course, you can fully reclaim these gadgets when they’re old or wholly damaged. These devices are composed of plastic, aluminum, and metallic parts.
All these components are fully recyclable. Therefore, you can bring your lightweight inkjet, bulky workhorse laser, single-function, or versatile all-in-one for recycling.
Types of Printers that Can Be Recycled
It’s essential to know what type of item you’re reclaiming. This will help you make an informed decision regarding the disposal of these devices.
Fortunately, this kind of gadget can be recycled. Among them are inkjet, laser, mobile, solid, 3D, dot matrix, large-format, and industrial devices. You can also recycle items like scanners, fax machines, and combinations.
What to Do Before You Recycle Scrap Printers
Before you mail your scrap device to a reclaiming facility, there’re a few things you’ll need to do. Firstly, you’ll remove cartridges and keep them for separate reprocessing.
Next, you trans or cancel all printer ink services, including your account. When you’re done, you restore factory defaults on your printer. Resetting can be done to both printers with touchscreens and without.
What’s more? You’ll also need to collect all the details about the device before weighing your reclaiming options. Such information includes the printer brand and model number, serial number, and year of purchase.
You may also have the device’s current condition, history or repairs, and more.
Places You Can Reclaim Old Printers
Several sites are open for the recycling of these devices.
One among them is your local e-waste reclaiming facilities. These facilities are known for responsibly disposing of and reprocessing these e-gadgets.
Furthermore, some drop-off locations offer to reclaim programs for these items.
However, you’ll need to contact them before sending your items. While some drop-off locations allow you to mail the device, others will not. Also, inquire about their laws regarding the recycling of these devices.
Apart from these centers, there’re other places you can reprocess these devices. They include your local municipal waste center, appliance reprocessing installations, and hazardous waste management.
You can explore reclaiming schemes such as Lexmark-Equipment and Collection, Canon-Environmental and Sustainability, HP-Planet Partners, and Epson-Recycling Programs.
Others include Oki-Environmental Responsibility Recycling, Dell Reconnect, Xerox-Equipment Recycling, and more.
Buy Back Programs for Old Printers
It’s also possible to recycle your scrap devices using buy-back programs.
Some major manufacturing companies offer customers such an opportunity to aid them in reclaiming their devices. Some buy-back programs you can use include Canon, Epson, HP, Oki Data, and more.
However, you must know that these programs vary accordingly. Depending on your kind of printer, their reclaiming options are only sometimes free.
Do Staples Accept Scrap Printers for Recycling?
This is another golden opportunity for those who need to learn more about staples.
They’re an “e-stewards enterprise” that maintains the highest standards for electronic disposition. They accept scrap e-devices for appropriate recycling.
You can recycle these devices at any nearby local staple store. Alternatively, you can arrange for pickup or call and ask for a box.
Recycling Old Printers at BestBuy
Bestbuy also welcomes these gadgets for recycling.
However, their mode of operation is a little different from staples. Here, they’ll allow you to reclaim up to three household items per day for free. Moreover, you can get up to 15% off select HP printers.
The only problem with these businesses is that they charge a small fee for the pickup or haulage of your device. But don’t worry; it’s something you can deal with.
Can I Donate an Old Printer?
Oh yes! Donation is another safe way to dispose of these devices and prevent them from ending in landfills. Now, you can donate your old or damaged printers in several places.
Among them are charitable organizations, the national cristina foundation, white oak, world computer exchange, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and more.
All these organizations we’ve highlighted above accept unwanted printers regardless of their condition. While some will resell them for profit, others make good use of them.
However, some beneficiaries may offer you a receipt for your donations. With such a receipt, you can earn a tax write-off.
Is It Proper to Dump Old Printers in Trash Cans?
No! Throwing away scrap printers in household or community trash cans is illegal. These devices take up so much space in landfills and contain hazardous substances.
If these substances aren’t disposed of appropriately, they’ll harm the environment and its residents.
For this reason, many municipalities termed the disposal of these items in trash cans as illegal. Some states, like California, have banned electronic removal in trash cans, including printers, since 2006.
If you’re caught violating this law, you could get fined. Depending on where you live, you can be fined around $25-300.
Benefits of Recycling Old Printers
Several perks accompany the recycling of these devices.
Firstly, it helps protect the environment and recover non-renewable resources such as gold, aluminum, steel, and copper. Secondly, as these gadgets are reprocessed, it creates space in landfills and gives room for other waste.
Furthermore, harmful chemicals and materials such as mercury may not have their way to contaminate underground water. As recycling continues, it reduces the consumption of energy to manufacture new products.
To top it all, recovering materials from old printers minimizes the need to mine minerals from the ground.
Challenges of Recycling Old Printers
Reclaiming these devices is essential to reduce waste, as mentioned earlier.
However, it can also be a challenge. Many printers contain lead, mercury, and other toxic components.
Therefore, such items need to be handled and disposed of carefully. Not all collection sites will accept such things. So you’ll need to find a place that does.
Additionally, some printer parts aren’t always recyclable. Thus, check with your local reclaiming program before dropping off any item. It’s best to call ahead because collection times and rules may vary by location.
With little effort, you can easily find a recycling facility that offers convenient solutions.
Conclusion
As highlighted above, e-waste products are composed of several parts. These elements contain toxic substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, lithium, etc.
If these chemicals aren’t handled carefully, they’ll harm the environment’s health, animals, and humans. Therefore, you must reclaim your old gadgets to promote environmental health.