Staples is now offering rewards to consumers who participate in their ink and toner recycling program.
In exchange for bringing an empty cartridge to the store, they will give consumers $3 in Staples Rewards, which can be used at stores, for online shopping, or to order catalog items over the phone.
In 2008, the office supply company recycled over 22 million cartridges, and they hope that they can hit the 30 million mark in 2009 with the help of the new incentives.
Approximately eight printer cartridges are thrown about every second in the US, and only about 30 percent of all cartridges are recycled, though almost all qualify - according to a recent study.
Staples’ ink and toner recycling program is part of a larger company program called EcoEasy, which also allows consumers to recycle items like cell phones and computers. Along with its recycling program, Staples has also become more environmentally-friendly by building LEED-certified stores, using recycled paper in their copy centers, offering green consumer products, and investing in clean energy.
