Have you been a good doobie by dutifully sending your used HP print cartridges back to the company with their enclosed postage-paid envelopes? Those days are about to end, and not in bad way. HP is expanding its print cartridge recycling efforts to include retailers, and Staples is the first in its program.

Staples customers who return HP print cartridges to the store already receive $3 back per cartridge, in the form of Staples Rewards that can be used toward a purchase. That will apparently continue, only now it’s a part of HP’s recycling program. HP is teaming with Staples to offer additional incentives for recycling leading up to America Recycles Day (Nov. 15), a nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle. Complete details about additional incentives are available at www.staples.com/techtradein and www.staples.com/RecycleHP.

“Because all HP ink cartridges and LaserJet toner cartridges returned to HP authorized retail locations are recycled through HP’s state-of-the-art processes, customers can be confident their print cartridges are recycled responsibly and diverted from landfills,” the company states in a press release.

And forget about those little green return envelopes. To reduce the amount of shipping material required for recycling returns, HP will no longer include the envelopes in HP ink cartridge packaging. However, HP will continue to accept ink cartridges returned in envelopes that customers have saved.

HP estimates that if all ink cartridges returned via in-box envelopes in 2008 were instead returned in bulk from authorized retail recycling locations, the amount of shipping materials used would have been reduced by more than 600,000 pounds – enough to fill more than 15 tractor trailers. Additionally, transport efficiency may be improved as cartridges shipped in bulk can be packed more tightly than those shipped individually, with twice as many cartridges fitting in the same amount of space.

About the Author:
Steven Castle - Contributing Writer

Steven Castle is a writer, editor, and humorist who recently completed Filthy Rich Things, a savage satire on our thirst for success and wealth. He also is Electronic House's senior editor and co-founder of GreenTech Advocates.