By Catherine Pulsifer
I stood in the line up at the store and noticed a new booth displaying refills for printers. The cashier noticed me looking at the booth, and she quickly said, "They are just new here." I asked her if she had ever used their services, and her face lit up. "Oh yes" she said, "I saved over $20.00 I used to buy new print cartridges for my ink jet printer and I would pay an arm and a leg for them. Now, I just get the cartridges refilled at a fraction of the price." But, the question running through my mind was, does it work? It was as though she could read my mind. Before I could ask the question, she said, "It works just as good as a new cartridge; there is no difference in the printing." I paid for my purchases and thanked her for her help.
I then went over to the booth selling the refills. The employee was very helpful. I asked her a series of questions, and she basically told me, that millions of cartridges are thrown away each year and end up in landfill sites. The cartridges can be refilled with ink, and give you the same quality as if you had bought a new cartridge. She said the cartridges do eventually wear out. Usually after the second to third refill, they are no good. What amazed me the most was the difference in the cost. For the type of printer I have, it cost close to $40.00 for a new cartridge, but refilling it only cost me $18. Half the price!!
I came home intrigued by this new discovery. I am always looking for new ways to be more frugal - getting more for my money. I researched the Internet and found there are many organizations that have programs in place to accept your old cartridges. They recycle them. In Canada alone, less than 5% of the millions of cartridges are ever recycled. It takes at least 2 ounces of oil to produce a new inkjet cartridge, and the plastic used in many cartridges takes centuries to decompose. When I thought of the millions being thrown out filling our landfill sites, and the cost of new vs. refilling, I decided to give it a try.
When my ink ran out, I took my old cartridge in and had it refilled. It works great. The one downside is that some manufacturers of printers will not warrant your guarantee if you use refills vs. new cartridges. I purchased my printer over 5 years ago, and it is not an expensive one so I am not concerned over the warranty as it has probably expired long ago.
So, if you want to save money, and you want to help reduce the amount of cartridges going to landfill sites, have your ink cartridges refilled before you buy a new one! A great way to be frugal - getting more for your money!
If you are concerned about your warranty on your printer and would prefer to buy new cartridges don't throw out your old one. Donate your empty ink cartridge to the many organizations now willing to recycle them. You will be practicing reduce, recyle and reuse which will help our environment!
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Catherine Pulsifer is one of the authors of A Simple Life - A journey to a simple life, and, a frugal lifestyle.
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