Recycle Lady: Printer Cartridges, Upcycling and Prescription Bottles

Dear Recycle Lady,

My printer uses long cartridges that must be changed when one runs out of ink. Can these cartridges be recycled? Printer

Dear Printer,

Recycling printer cartridges is not only possible, but it is important that they are recycled and not sent to the landfill. The ink and toner in the cartridges are made of materials that can be harmful to the health of humans and to the environment. Several retailers recycle toner cartridges and others may pay you for them. Staples, Office Depot, Walmart, and Best Buy all participate in a free drop-off program. HP has a recycling team that can be reached through the HP recycling page or 1-800-340-2445 Monday – Friday to request free boxes or envelopes for returning the cartridges to HP. When bringing ink cartridges to the Recycling Center, go to the Aluminum Cans door and push the call button. Someone will come help you.

Dear Recycle Lady,

What is upcycling? Is it the same as recycling? Something New

Dear Something New,

Upcycling is a special kind of recycling. When an item is upcycled, it is recycled or reused into a product that has a higher value than the value of the original item or it is used to create something entirely new. Most recycling is downcycling, which is making a lower-grade version of the same product. An example of Upcycling is making new shoes from plastic bottles, while an example of downcycling is making lower-quality plastic bottles using the same kind of bottles recycled. Upcycling supports a circular economy in which goods are used and reused many times instead of being thrown out after one use. A circular economy is more sustainable as it uses what we have instead of creating new products out of new materials. It also reduces landfill waste and minimizes carbon emissions.

Dear Recycle Lady,

Are white prescription bottles recyclable? They have a recycle triangle on them. Doubtful

Dear Doubtful,

There are two potential problems with prescription bottles, so it’s good to be doubtful about them.  The first problem is that these bottles have held medications with diverse chemical components and traces of the medications may remain in the bottles. Thus, prescription containers can only be recycled if the processing plant that recycles the bottles has a washing and heating process sufficient to remove any traces of a drug.  The second problem is the size of the bottles. Small bottles often slip through the machines during processing and can cause damage to the machinery or stop it entirely. This is the case with the Greenbrier Recycling Center; they are unable to recycle small bottles that are less than three inches tall. Finding a good way to dispose of the medicine contained in prescription bottles is just as important as finding a good way to dispose of the bottles. Several local pharmacies have a deposit center for disposing of unused medications and the Greenbrier County Court House has a disposal location. Under no conditions should medications be flushed down the toilet. According to https://recyclenation.com , even the best sewage treatment plants will not remove all medications from the water before it is discharged into rivers and streams, and thus into marine life.  These medications can affect not only fish and other wildlife, but they will eventually make their way back into human consumption.

Bad News : According to West Virginia University researchers, statins and beta blockers are working their way into our aquatic ecosystem. When sampling fish in West Virginia Rivers, the WVU researchers found traces of both of these pharmaceuticals.

Good News: Kudos to the Lewisburg Girl Scouts who have completed the Trex challenge, recycled 1,000 pounds of plastic film and earned a great outdoor Trex bench!

More Good News: Boggs Scrap Metal in Caldwell accepts aluminum foil and aluminum pans.

Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests Recyclelady7@gmail.com . Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.

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