How to recycle toner cartridges in Australia
Be honest, there’s a dead printer cartridge lurking in a drawer somewhere in your home or office right now. Like most of us, you knew it probably shouldn’t go in the bin, so you said you’d do it later, and it’s sat there ever since.
The good news is that dealing with it is a five-minute job (and it’s completely free). No, you can’t put your cartridges in the kerbside recycling bin, but there’s a national program to take them off your hands.
How to recycle your cartridges
The main cartridge collector in Australia is Cartridges 4 Planet Ark – a free program that’s been running since 2003 and has recycled over 60 million cartridges, all with a zero-waste-to-landfill guarantee. It’s all processed right here in Australia by a company called Close the Loop.
How you use it depends largely on how many you’ve got.
At home or for small amounts
If you’ve got a small number of cartridges (say three or fewer), you can just drop them at a public collection point. There are over 1,500 of them dotted around the country. They’re often found at various retailers (like Officeworks and Australia Post) and community centres. They’re free and require no sign-up at all.
Click this link to find your nearest one.
For offices, schools, and workplaces
Workplaces churn through a lot of cartridges, so it’s no surprise that this is where the most impact comes from. If your office, school or organisation uses at least three cartridges a month, you may be eligible for a free collection box to be delivered to your workplace.
You can just put your empty cartridges in the provided container. Once the bag inside is full, you’ve got a couple of options. Check the eligibility tool on Close the Loop's member portal to see if you qualify for a free pick-up (they'll collect within 2–10 business days), or if not, just seal the bag, slap on the free reply-paid label, and drop it at any Australia Post outlet.
Why can’t cartridges go in the recycling bin?
Although printer cartridges look like simple bits of plastic, they’re really full of a fiddly mix of plastic, metal, foam, ink and leftover toner – all in one little package. This makes them a bit of a nightmare to separate and therefore recycle.
But having them end up in landfill is no better. Then you’re just burying yet more lumps of plastic that won’t break down, along with metals that could have otherwise been recovered and reused.
What happens to the cartridges?
Once your cartridges are collected, they’re pulled apart and their materials are put to work again rather than wasted.
Close the Loop recovers the plastics, metals and toner and turns them into other useful stuff. A lot of the recovered material has gone into making road base used to resurface Aussie roads. Not a bad second life.
How Ecobin can help
Printer cartridges are just one part of a much bigger waste-sorting picture. All around the country, people are taking small but deliberate steps to reduce the amount of waste going into landfill – and it all starts at the bin. If you want to make proper waste-sorting a habit in your home, school, or office, we can help with that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you recycle empty printer cartridges?
Yes and it’s completely free. Cartridges 4 Planet Ark accepts empty ink and toner cartridges from participating manufacturers, either via public drop-off points or workplace collection boxes.
Can toner cartridges go in the recycling bin?
Unfortunately no. Cartridges are classed as e-waste and can’t go in your kerbside yellow bin as they contaminate the recycling stream. Use the Cartridges 4 Planet Ark program instead.
Is cartridge recycling free in Australia?
Completely. Both the public drop-off points and the workplace collection boxes are free to use, funded by participating manufacturers like Brother, Canon, Epson, and HP.
Where can I drop off printer cartridges?
There are over 1,500 public drop-off points across Australia. Search the Planet Ark directory to find your nearest location before you head out.
What about refilled or off-brand cartridges?
The program is designed for cartridges from its participating manufacturers. If yours is an off-brand or refilled cartridge, check the current participating list first so you don't accidentally contaminate a collection.