Toner and Cartridge Recycling

[Lynn Vatthauer]

Does anyone have a good source for recycling ink cartridges and toner? The companies we have used in the past have either stopped taking them or pay so little it's not worth storing them until we have enough to send in.

[Lynn Vatthauer]

Thanks, Seth, I will give them a try.

Seth Tramm said:

We use a company called The Funding Factory (www.fundingfactory.com) and have been pleased with what they offer. I don't believe that anyone will become rich with any such company, but overall, it is a good thing to do for the environment and the school does get a little something. I think I have earned a couple hundred dollars in the last 18 months...it helps!

[Starky]

I have switched from funding factory to green school project. The reason is that funding factory didn't give you credit for some of the toners that I sent in, green school takes most of everything that I have sent in and they send an auto payment every three months, no matter what the amount is. The only downside is they do not send boxes like funding factory, but labels, so I just have to come up with boxes, fill them up, slap a label on and it is gone. They also work with cell phones like funding factory. Both funding factory and green school are comparible.

[Stephen Lien]

My first year, we tried sending in empties for payment, but I found that the effort just wasn't worth it in the end. Most of the cartridges & toners we got were really sub-par.

I then found Universal Service out of Fargo. Their service is great, the quality of their refilled toners is very good, I've never had a problem with returning a bad cartridge, and their prices are great. Plus, if you ever need a printer fixed, their serviceman, Tim, is a fantastic help. They may not give you any money for returned cartridges, but their discounts more than make up for it in the long run.