Disgusted with recycling...

I live way out in the boondocks. The nearest places to buy printer ink are 35 miles in one direction and 45 miles in the opposite direction.

I would dutifully save all my empties and periodically go to Staples (the first direction), where I would trade in my empties for $3.00 apiece and buy a stock of ink (usually 10-15 cartidges at a time, sometimes as many as 20).

Then Staples decided that I could only trade in 3 empties at a time. With the price of gas, it was just not practical to make a 70-mile round trip to save $9.00. But I did it quite a few times because I believe in recycling.

Then Staples decided that the particular cartridges I used are not eligable for recycling. So much for that!

I then went in the opposite direction to Office Depot, who still honored $3.00 per empty.

Then Office Depot decided that the maximum at one time was 5 cartridges. Okay, that was still better than nothing, albeit requiring a 90-mile round trip.

Now Office Depot, too, has decided that my cartridges are no long eligible.

OfficeMax will take them in trade for $3.00 each, up to 5 per visit, but they would be a 120-mile round trip.

I guess they just don't want me to recycle.

I now buy my cartidges online and forget the recycling. So much for saving the Earth. But I am saving gas!

Oh, yes, these mysterious cartidges are the very common BCI-3e and BCI-6 cartridges.

Does anyone else have trouble recycling ink cartridges?

Ask to speak to a district manager, and explain the situation.

Driving 90 miles because you believe in recycling? Seems the point of recycling is for the environment, and the extra driving might negate that!

20droger wrote in post #2462540
I now buy my cartidges online and forget the recycling. So much for saving the Earth. But I am saving gas!

Oh, yes, these mysterious cartidges are the very common BCI-3e and BCI-6 cartridges.

Does anyone else have trouble recycling ink cartridges?

I was going to suggest this very thing. I buy just about everything online. It saves gas and is almost always cheaper, shipping included.

If places aren't going to make it feasible to recycle, I'm not going to try. It shouldn't be a hassle.

joegolf68 wrote in post #2462602
Driving 90 miles because you believe in recycling? Seems the point of recycling is for the environment, and the extra driving might negate that!

I was also buying ink and paper. And filling the "things to pick up in town" list.

We now go to town about half as often, usually to stock up on things not available locally.

jfrancho wrote in post #2462576
Ask to speak to a district manager, and explain the situation.

Did. Got quoted "corporate policy."

Result? Both Staples and Office Depot have lost our ink and photo paper business.

Granted, we're small potatoes and they probably don't care, but 10-15 ink cartridges a month do add up to something! Also, we have lots of friends...

Whether they care about the little guy seems to ebb and flow with these places. Corporate policy is a bull**** answer that means, "I don't really care about you." Take your business to the web.

And BTW, there are a ton of recycling centers on the web. Do a google.

Hi 20dRoger,

Rather than worrying about recycling ALL of your printer cartridges, how about using a Continuous Ink System?

I did a Google search and found the link below.

http://www.echostore.c​om/continuousink2.html

That way you can buy your ink in 100ml bottles, no chips and no catridges to worry about.

I have never used these things myself, as I don't print enough, but others may have experience of them.

I hope this is useful.
Regards
Nigel

jfrancho wrote in post #2462808
And BTW, there are a ton of recycling centers on the web. Do a google.

Yes, but virtually all of them for ink cartridges are of the "you send us your cartridges and we'll fill them with our ink" variety.

I choose only to use Canon ink. I tried the cheapie places with my last GP printer and was not happy with the results.

The i9900 gets only Canon ink. It likes it and I like the results.

Nanscombe wrote in post #2463312
Hi 20dRoger,

Rather than worrying about recycling ALL of your printer cartridges, how about using a Continuous Ink System?

I did a Google search and found the link below.

http://www.echostore.c​om/continuousink2.html

That way you can buy your ink in 100ml bottles, no chips and no catridges to worry about.

I have never used these things myself, as I don't print enough, but others may have experience of them.

I hope this is useful.
Regards
Nigel

I HAVE considered that. But none of them are really set up for an i9900. Maybe when I upgrade to one of the new super-high-rez printers coming down the pike...

Hi 20dRoger,

20droger wrote in post #2463815
I HAVE considered that. But none of them are really set up for an i9900. Maybe when I upgrade to one of the new super-high-rez printers coming down the pike...

http://www.echostore.c​om …k-system-canon-i9900.html

Well, this lot seem to be doing exactly what you are after. However, again, I don't know how good they really are.

Regards
Nigel

I recall Media Street had the Niagra system for the i9100 (the earlier version of the i9900)
In fact it was there "poster Child" for a while.
I'd be surprised if they don;t have one for the i9900?

Back to the OP,,. sometimes Life seems to want to make it very hard to "do the right thing"
I recall similar problems trying to dispose of paint cans in a safe manner. The hoops they wanted me to jump through were essentially telling me, "dump it in a vacant lot or your an idiot"

I admire anyone who recycles.

However, having been an owner of many Canon printers, the one you're using, IMHO, is not suited for the amount you're printing.

This is a link to the cost per print on an Epson 4800 as compared to the 4000.

I owned the 4000 and now the 4800. I'm now using 220 ml cartridges, the size of which has to be seen to be believed. It is much more cost effective, especially with the prices on these printers dropping.

mark
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/4​800%20tracking.shtml

Try looking at www.buy.com and www.atlex.com You'll pay $10 or so shipping but I can get $4 off on cartridges for my R1800 compared to the store and I recently bought 2 of each cartridge so I'll be set for a while and saved a bunch.

Plus some stores like Walmart of bags hanging near their printers that you can toss empty cartridges in and drop them in the mail at no cost to you. Where it is going to pays the shipping!