Printer cartridges recycled to raise money for kids’ charity

Recycle4kids.org has started a new fund-raising campaign collecting ink-jet cartridges and toner cartridges for reuse, in an effort to protect the environment and help children’s charities around the world.

All of the printer cartridges received will have a monetary value assigned to them and the total raised from each person donating printer cartridges will be given to a selection of children’s charities, at his or her discretion.

Hewlett Packard printer cartridges, for example, are valued between $0.10 (5p) and $3.60 (£1.80) each, depending on the model.

It is estimated that more than 350 million ink-jet cartridges and toner cartridges are disposed in British landfills every year and, apart from raising money for children’s charities, the new recycling programme will also help to protect the environment by reducing the amount of waste produced and removing the need for new materials to be used in production.

Recycle4kids.org will be open to schools, religious institutions and retailers, as well as individuals hoping to donate their empty printer cartridges.

The foundation will cover all materials and shipping costs and the collected printer supplies will be sorted, rinsed and shipped to their respective manufacturers for refilling.