Some Recycling Statistics

Written by: Kate Snyder, Executive Assistant

After blogging about Cartridges for Kids – EECM's new recycling program for printer cartridges, cell phones, PDAs and other electronics – I became intrigued by the environmental impact of printer cartridges. I mean, it’s great that we’re raising money for kids by recycling our cartridges, but from an environmental perspective, is it really such a big deal?

And the answer is….uh, YEAH.

I poked around on the internet and came back with an impressive array of statistics. I’ve picked out some of my favorites for you and provided links to the source pages if you’d like to check them out more.

* Producing one new toner cartridge (like for a laser printer) requires more than 3 quarts of oil, and adds 2 1/2 pounds of plastic to the environment. Source

* Each year, over 600 million ink cartridges are consumed in the United States alone. Source

The Good News -- 97% of the cartridge components can be recycled or reused. Source

The Bad News -- Only 20% of cartridges will be recycled. The remaining 80% will ultimately end up in landfill. Source

* In the United States, it is estimated that approximately eight inkjet and toner cartridges find their way to the trash can every second. Source. Stacked end to end, one year’s worth of discarded printer cartridges would cover a distance of about 24,000 miles; enough distance to circle the earth. Source

* A laser cartridge thrown into a landfill can take up to 450 years to decompose. Some of its components are made of industrial grade plastics and will take over a thousand years to decompose. Source

So here’s the bottom line, simplified for those of you who just skimmed the above numbers:
1) We use a whole lotta printer cartridges in this country.
2) When we throw them away, the environment suffers.
3) When we recycle them, everybody benefits. Specifically, when you recycle them at EECM, you help at-risk children and youth.