How to Dispose of Used Toner

Photocopiers and printers need toner.

Toner cartridges provide ink pigment for laser printers and some types of photocopiers. They come in black and colored ink. When full, these contain hazardous waste material; when empty, they are no longer considered hazardous waste since their contents have been dispersed. When you run out of toner and need to install a new toner cartridge, you have multiple options for disposing of the old cartridge as waste or recycled material.

Instructions

1. Take the used toner cartridge to an office supply store. Many stores offer recycling programs that discount your toner purchase or recycle old cartridges.

2. Contact the toner cartridge's manufacturer to determine whether the company accepts the cartridge for disposal or recycling. Ask how to send the used toner to the company. You may have to pay a shipping fee.

3. Contact your community's department of public works (or similar agency) and request to speak with a representative in the trash or recycling department. Inquire whether it is permissible to dispose of used toner cartridges along with other household waste (directly in a trash bin). Researchers at Cornell University note that this is an acceptable practice, since used toner cartridges do not contain chemical waste.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not dispose of unused toner cartridges in the trash; these are considered chemical waste.

References

• Municipality of Anchorage: Disposal of These Items?
• Cornell University: Office of Environmental Health and Safety - Frequently Asked Questions
• California State University San Bernadino: Waste Management