How to Recycle an Old Printer and Ink Cartridges Near You in 2026

Printers have a way of outliving their usefulness long before they physically die. The ink costs more than the machine did, the Wi-Fi setup never quite worked, or a new laptop simply refuses to talk to it. So it ends up in a closet or under a desk, next to a shoebox of half-used cartridges nobody wants to throw away.

That instinct not to toss them is the right one. A printer is full of plastic, circuit boards, motors, and small amounts of metal worth recovering, and the cartridges are made from plastic that takes centuries to break down in a landfill. The good news is that printers and cartridges are among the easiest electronics to recycle. Several national retailers take them for free, a few will even give you store credit for empty cartridges, and every major printer brand runs a mail-back program. This guide covers where to take each, what to do first, and how to get a little money back along the way.

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Printers and Cartridges Take Different Paths

It helps to think of this as two separate errands.

The printer itself is regular e-waste, just like a computer or a monitor. It goes to an electronics recycler, a retail take-back program, or a manufacturer’s hardware recycling program. Inkjets, laser printers, all-in-ones, scanners, and fax machines all fall into this group.

The cartridges are a different stream. Empty ink and toner cartridges are often refilled and resold, so there is an established network collecting them, and many of those programs reward you for dropping them off. Retailers usually take cartridges at the front counter, separately from their electronics bins.

You can handle both in one trip to the right store, but it is worth knowing they are not always accepted in the same place.

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Before You Recycle Your Printer

A few minutes of prep saves headaches later, and one step protects your privacy.

Pull out the cartridges. Remove any ink or toner cartridges, even empty ones, and recycle them separately. Many cartridge programs reward you for them, and a loose cartridge can leak inside the printer on the way to the recycler.

Reset it to factory settings. Modern wireless printers store your Wi-Fi network name and password, and often a list of recent jobs, email addresses, or fax numbers. Look in the settings menu for “Restore Factory Defaults” or “Reset All Settings.” It takes about a minute.

Wipe the hard drive on office machines. Large multifunction printers and office copiers often have an internal hard drive that keeps copies of everything scanned, printed, or faxed. If you are getting rid of a professional-grade machine, look for a “Secure Wipe” or “Disk Sanitization” option in the admin menu. We cover this in more detail in our guide to hard-to-recycle tech, and our article on data security in electronics recycling explains why it matters.

Remove the paper and accessories. Take out any loose paper, and keep the power cord with the printer. Cables are recyclable too, but recyclers prefer them bundled with the device.

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Where to Recycle an Old Printer for Free

Printers are one of the few electronics most programs take at no cost, so you should rarely have to pay.

Staples. Staples accepts printers, scanners, and fax machines in store, whether or not you bought them there. Bring them to the checkout counter. Scanners and fax machines are free, but printers and all-in-ones cost $9.99 each, except in California, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. For a full rundown of what Staples takes, see our Staples recycling program guide.

Best Buy. Best Buy lists printers and scanners among the items it recycles for free. Daily per-household limits apply. Unlike TVs and monitors, there is no fee for printers. See our Best Buy recycling program guide for the details.

Local e-waste recyclers. Certified electronics recyclers take printers of every size, including large office copiers that a retail store will not accept. Many also offer business pickup. You can find one near you by searching your city on RecycleOldTech.com, where each listing shows what the facility accepts, its hours, and how to contact it. If you want to make sure your printer is handled responsibly, look for a recycler with an R2 or e-Stewards certification.

Manufacturer take-back programs. HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, and Lexmark all offer recycling programs for their own hardware, usually by mail with a free shipping label. HP’s Planet Partners program, for example, recycles HP-branded printers and scanners at no cost. These programs generally only accept their own brand, so they are best if the store option is inconvenient.

Household hazardous waste days and community events. Many cities and counties host free e-waste collection events a few times a year, and printers are almost always on the accepted list. Our piece on local electronics recycling events explains how to find them.

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Where to Recycle Ink and Toner Cartridges

Cartridges have even more options than printers, and some of them pay.

Staples. Staples takes empty ink and toner cartridges of any brand at the front counter. Members of its free Easy Rewards program earn points for each cartridge recycled, currently worth roughly $2 to $2.50 per cartridge, with a monthly cap on how many count toward rewards. The exact reward and limit have changed several times over the years, so check the Staples rewards page before you bring in a big bag.

Office Depot and OfficeMax. Office Depot also collects empty ink and toner cartridges in store and offers rewards through its free loyalty program. As with Staples, the terms shift periodically, so confirm the current offer at the counter.

Best Buy. Best Buy accepts ink and toner cartridges for free recycling. There is no reward, but it is convenient if you are already dropping off other electronics. Cartridges count toward the three-item daily limit.

Manufacturer mail-back programs. Every major brand offers free cartridge returns. HP, Epson, Canon, Brother, and Lexmark all provide prepaid shipping labels or envelopes through their websites, and some ship a return bag with new cartridges. There is no cash back, but it costs nothing and the cartridges go straight back to the company that made them.

Cartridge buyback services. A handful of companies pay cash for certain empty cartridges, usually unopened or name-brand (OEM) models in good condition. Payouts vary widely and many third-party “compatible” cartridges are not eligible, but if you have a stash of unused cartridges that no longer fit your printer, it is worth a quick look. For other ways to get money for old tech, see our guide to selling your electronics directly.

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Quick Comparison

Option	Printers	Ink and toner cartridges	Good to know
Staples	$9.99 (free in 8 states)	Free, earns rewards	Rewards have a monthly cap; any brand accepted
Best Buy	Free	Free	Daily per-household limits
Office Depot / OfficeMax	Varies by store	Free, earns rewards	Confirm current terms in store
Local certified e-waste recycler	Yes, any size	Usually	Best for office copiers and large batches
Manufacturer programs (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother)	Own brand, by mail	Own brand, by mail	Free shipping labels, no cash back

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What About a Printer That Still Works?

If your printer still turns on and prints, recycling is not your only option, and it may not be the best one.

Donate it. Schools, libraries, community centers, and nonprofits often need working printers, especially ones with a supply of compatible cartridges. Include the power cord and any unopened ink. Our guide to donating old electronics covers where to donate and how to get a tax deduction for it.

Sell it. Laser printers in particular hold their value surprisingly well, since they last for years and their toner is cheaper per page. A working office laser printer can often sell locally for a meaningful amount.

Give away the leftover cartridges. If you are replacing the printer with a different model, unopened cartridges for the old one are worth offering on a local buy-nothing group. Someone with the same printer will be grateful.

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Can You Throw a Printer in the Trash?

In many states, no. A number of states ban electronics like computers and printers from household trash and landfills, and even where it is technically legal, it is a waste of recoverable materials. Printers contain circuit boards with small amounts of lead and other metals, and toner powder is not something you want blowing around a landfill. Our overview of state electronics recycling laws shows where the rules are strictest.

Cartridges are not banned from the trash in most places, but they are one of the easiest things to recycle, and in some cases you get paid to do it. There is no good reason to throw them away.

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Finding a Drop-Off Near You

The fastest way to clear out that closet printer is to search your city on RecycleOldTech.com and find a nearby recycler, then check its listing to confirm it takes printers and cartridges. If a Staples or Best Buy is closer, bring the printer there and the cartridges to the counter.

Pull the cartridges, reset the printer, and take them both in on the same trip. It is one of the simplest pieces of e-waste you will ever get rid of.

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Quick Answers

Does Staples take old printers? Yes, even if you did not buy them there. Printers cost $9.99 each except in California, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, where they are free.

Does Best Buy recycle printers? Yes. Best Buy recycles printers, scanners, and ink and toner cartridges for free, subject to daily per-household limits.

Where can I recycle ink cartridges for money? Staples and Office Depot both offer store rewards for recycled ink and toner cartridges through their free loyalty programs, subject to monthly limits. Some cartridge buyback companies pay cash for unused or name-brand cartridges.

Can I recycle printer cartridges in my curbside bin? No. Curbside programs are not set up to handle cartridges, and leftover ink or toner can contaminate other recyclables. Take them to a store drop-off or use a manufacturer’s free mail-back program.

Do I need to wipe my printer before recycling it? For a home printer, a factory reset is enough to clear saved Wi-Fi passwords and contacts. Office multifunction printers and copiers may have an internal hard drive, so use the secure wipe option in the admin menu before recycling.

Can I recycle a printer that is not HP? Yes. Staples, Best Buy, and local e-waste recyclers take printers of any brand. Manufacturer programs like HP Planet Partners generally only accept their own brand.