How To Recycle A Printer
Just like any other electronics, printers can be recycled too. If you have old broken printers lying around, have it recycled rather than disposing it to the trash right away. This way, some of its hazardous parts can be disposed of properly, and its recyclable components can still be converted into something useful. Let's learn how to recycle a printer in this article.
What Printers Are Made Of
Printers are made up of many components. It also depends on its type. The inkjet printer uses liquid ink, while a laser printer uses powdered ink, usually referred to as toner to create an image.
Old version printers were most commonly a daisy wheel or dot-matrix style. Modern printer models are generally made plastic and some metal mixed in. The body and many of the internal components are plastic. (The plastic body is treated with a brominated flame retardant, which scientists suspect has weak effects on human health. This type of flame retardant has been banned in Europe.) The screws, rollers, and circuit boards are made of metal.
There are a couple of components that fall in the "other" category, including the belts which help the printer head assembly move. Removable printers house ink or toner cartridges can be disposed of separately as it is not toxic. However, when you heat the toner in a laser printer, it releases volatile organic compounds that can be harmful to human health.
Ensure to use laser printers in a well-ventilated room. Be careful not to release too much toner into the air when you change the cartridge. Another thing to always remember, wash your hands when you are done.
Ways On How To Recycle A Printer
Here are some ways that you can do to recycle those old printers.
- Donate your printer. – You can donate your old printers to organizations or foundations that accept this kind of donations. Some of these large international organization includes Goodwill and The Salvation Army. There are also regional donation centers that you can consider like World Computer Exchange. There are online websites that can help you search or locate centers where you can donate, just like the National Cristina Foundation and e-Stewards.
- Recycle Center – You may also drop your old printer to your local recycling center. In doing this, you can make sure that the printer will be dismantled appropriately, and all materials like plastics and metals will be segregated. You can also check in some electronics and office supply store chains for a possible recycling program.
- Recycling and Buyback option – Some printer manufacturers offer to recycle or buyback programs to their customers. Each manufacturer has different programs like, for example, with Epson, their program is only recycling. Canon offers both recycling and buyback. You'll fill out their online form, and they will give an estimate on how much they can provide for your old printer. If they find it no value, you may proceed with their recycling program. Other manufacturers that offer either recycling, buyback, or both are HP, OKI data, and Xerox.
Conclusion
Aside from the buyback option, there are a lot of other ways to sell your used or old printer, working or not. Search the internet for companies or organizations or other platforms where you can sell or recycle your printers. In this simple way, you help eliminate or reduce the earth's waste.