Saving on printer ink isn’t just about saving money, but also lessening the impact on the environment. Ink and toner cartridges are made from plastic and plastic is made from oil. There’s also the energy that goes into making the cartridge itself – more oil or coal burned to generate the electricity on that side of things.

Some years back many printer manufacturers tried to scare consumers away from refilling and reusing cartridges by stating that this practice would void their printer warranties. I believe it’s been upheld in most western courts that this is not the case.

Refilling your own cartridges, will a little messy at times, saves millions of empty cartridges winding up in landfill. Depending on the cartridge and how you use it, you can refill them dozens of times.

One of the tricks to extending the life of a cartridge is to never let it run totally dry. Each time you print without ink, it wears out the print head very quickly. You should refill your cartridge when it gets down to around the 25% full mark.

Another earth friendly tip for saving on ink refills – buy in bulk. Instead of purchasing “single-shot” refillers, buy your ink in larger containers; again, less plastic, less landfill that won’t break down for hundreds of years.

Have a ink/toner related green tip you’d like to share? Please add it below :)