While the world stands still and waits for a leader, one printer company is taking the bull by the horns. After years of sitting back and watching consumers discard their used products in the trash one manufacturer has made a statement.  Lexmark has implemented a plan of action that takes recycling to a new level.

In celebration of Earth Day, today Lexmark released the findings of a Life Cycle Assessment that looked into the environmental impact of discarded toner cartridges. Finding that sending a used toner cartridge back to Lexmark for recycling, as opposed to discarding it in the trash, reduces the overall carbon footprint of those toner cartridges by up to 60 percent.

Not only does discarding old printer cartridges in the trash create an astoundingly large landfill with toxic waste, but did you know that it takes 2.5 quarts of oil to produce the petroleum product that creates the plastic shell of a printer cartridge. By reducing the amount of waste that goes into the landfill and reusing the old shells, you can reduce the amount of oil that is consumed day-after-day.

Toner Cartridge Recycling made easy

Lexmark runs free collection programs for its ink and toner cartridges. On Lexmark’s website, you can request a prepaid return envelope for printer cartridges or print a return label for multiple toner cartridges (remember to save the box it came in) to send them back to Lexmark for recycling. Lexmark pledges that 100% of the printer cartridges it collects are either reused or remanufactured for recycling.

Another break in Lexmark’s corporate policy, while being one of the largest manufacturer’s of printers and printer cartridges, Lexmark urges customers to print less. “They have made it a priority to train its customers on what steps they can take to implement responsible printing practices, such as printing less and recycling, to reduce the negative impact to the environment,” said Marty Canning, Lexmark vice president and president of its Printing Solutions and Services section. They suggest customers print only what they need, use double-sided prints as much as possible, and employ digital document processes and paper-less features such as scan-to-email to share documents. The company also recommends purchasing the highest-yield printer cartridges, which helps cut costs and reduce waste.

Another benefit of recycling toner cartridges is the cost advantage. Typically a recycled toner cartridge costs less to manufacture and that savings is passed on to the consumer. So the next time your in the market for a printer cartridge, Check with your local supplier and try and take advantage of going green. Your children and grandchildren will thank you for it when their not too busy texting.