ABOUT US

In one year (2006), approximately 300 million cartridges were thrown away. The plastic cartridges can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. Five million barrels of oil were consumed to produce new cartridges.

It is estimated that less than 20% of Inkjet, Toner Cartridges and Cell Phones are recycled with over 101,000 tons of cartridges disposed in our landfills.

We invite you to join our program to reduce the waste in our landfills. Turning "Trash" to "Cash" is just one more opportunity to raise funds for our Kids.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General Info Who may participate in the recycling program? How much does it cost? Is there any risk associated with handling my used printer cartridges? Qualifying Cartridges What kind of cartridges or cell phones may I recycle? What do you mean by "Non-Remanufactured " and "Remanufactured" cartridges? What is the difference? Registration Info How do I start recycling for my Recycle Club in my community? Why do I need to register? Is there a fee to register? Why do I need to register my email address? Shipping Info Do I need to pay to ship my empty cartridges or cell phones to you? How do I ship my recyclable items to your facility?

Who may participate in the recycling program? EVERYONE that wants to support an Optimist Club. MOVE TO TOP     How much does it cost? NOTHING! This program is provided to you, your organization and community free of charge. Optimist Recycling will even cover the shipping cost with a pre-paid shipping label (please see the shipping topic area for more info). MOVE TO TOP     Is there any risk associated with handling my used printer cartridges? Printer cartridges are non-toxic and pose no health risk of any kind. But be aware, ink from the cartridges can leave messy stains on your clothing and carpeting. MOVE TO TOP     What kind of cartridges or cell phones may I recycle? We accept all Inkjet, Toner cartridges and Cell Phones, however Epson, remanufactured or damaged cartridges have no value. Not all cell phones have value as many are very obsolete. Many cell phones come to us damaged, however we do recycle each cell phone and nothing will go into our Landfills! MOVE TO TOP     What do you mean by "Non-Remanufactured " and "Remanufactured" cartridges? What is the difference? "Non-Remanufactured" and "Remanufactured" refers to the current condition of the inkjet or toner cartridge being returned. A Non-Remanufactured cartridge has never in its lifetime been recycled or remanufactured. A Remanufactured cartridge has been recycled or remanufactured at least once. MOVE TO TOP     How do I start recycling for my Recycle Club in my community? ITS EASY! Click here and register through our online form. It's fast, free and easy! MOVE TO TOP     Why do I need to register? Optimist Recycling assigns every registrant an account number that is automatically printed on the complimentary label. This account number allows us to pay efficiently and without error upon receipt of your package. Also, as a registered user you will be able to log in and check your Clubs account status. We will also automatically replenish your recycling supplies after you ship to us. We do our best to keep this process trouble free. MOVE TO TOP     Is there a fee to register? NO! Participation in the program is 100% free. The reward to you will be helping to support your community Recycle Club programs while also helping to keep our environment clean. MOVE TO TOP     Why do I need to register my email address? Optimist Recycling contacts all participants via email. We will NOT sell email addresses to other companies, nor will we bombard your address with SPAM and needless advertising. MOVE TO TOP     Do I need to pay to ship my empty cartridges or cell phones to you? NO! Optimist Recycling provides a complimentary, pre-paid USPS or UPS shipping label for every shipment you want to make. If you have not yet registered with us, simply click here and register through our online form. It's fast, free and easy! MOVE TO TOP     How do I ship my recyclable items to your facility? To send in your cartridges, simply package as many of them as you can into their appropriate boxes, making sure not to mix the cell phones and cartridges together. Give the package to your UPS Canada ground delivery driver. If box isn’t completely full, please fill with paper or foam peanuts to prevent damage to items. If possible to prevent damage, place cartridges back into their original packaging or wrap well with newspaper or bubble wrap. MOVE TO TOP