An ENTS Junior Colloquium Project by:

Jesse Grossman

Devin Smith

Miako Ushio

Current Cartridge Recycling System:

-The Carleton Bookstore distributes printer cartridges to the CMC, library, and all faculty and staff offices

-When these cartridges run out of ink, they are returned to the bookstore

-The bookstore then returns them to their Hewlett Packard distributor who in turn credits the bookstore on their next cartridge order

-The bookstore estimates that 75% of printer cartridges are returned to them

-Once Hewlett Packard receives the cartridges they dismantle them and reuse certain parts in the construction of new cartridges

-As a result of this project, the bookstore is looking into providing remanufactured printer cartridges

-There is no system for recycling student printer cartridges

Facts about Printer Cartridge Recycling:

-Approximately 200 million empty inkjet cartridges are thrown into landfills annually in the United States

-Empty inkjet cartridges from computer printers are pound for pound, ounce for ounce, the most valuable post-consumer item

-Hewlett Packard is able to use 65% of the returned cartridge in the production of new cartridges

Our Student Printer Cartridge Recycling Plan:

-Working in conjunction AAA Environmental, Inc. and the Minnesota Recycling Coalition we set up an inkjet cartridge recycling program for students

-We received boxes containing postage paid envelopes that students can take at their leisure, place their inkjet cartridge inside the envelope, and drop in a mailbox

-We placed these boxes in the CMC and the Carleton Bookstore for easy access by students. We had sought to place a box in the library but were denied permission

-The Minnesota Recycling Coalition will provide one dollar for every returned cartridge and we intend to find a student organization that will maintain this program. The organization can then use it as a source of their funding

-An environmental student organization at St. Olaf College will be contacted to see if there is interest in starting a cartridge recycling program there. We will provide them with the boxes and information on how to put the program in place