How to Get Rid of Old Printers

Getting rid of old printers is like disposing of other electronics – you can’t just throw them out.

• If printers and other types of electronic trash are not properly disposed of, you may experience legal consequences.
• Programs for recycling, giving, and online sales sites are the three best ways to dispose of obsolete printers.
• If you donate printers to charities, your company may be able to claim a tax break.
• This article is for office managers and business owners who need to get rid of outdated printers and related equipment.

Where does your small company office printer go when it is no longer functional? Are there opportunities for recycling? Do you dispose of it in the trash?

The majority of individuals don’t consider what will happen to their dependable printer once they’re ready for a new model. But your company has to know how to properly dispose of printers, just like it does with any other kind of electronic trash.

Here’s a look at how to properly get rid of those outdated printers that are taking up space in your workplace and gathering dust.

Why can’t you throw out old printers?

You can’t simply put outdated printers in the trash, just like other sorts of equipment. There may be harmful components in printer ink cartridges, and several jurisdictions have passed legislation governing how to properly dispose of electronic trash (e-waste).

Businesses who improperly discard gadgets risk severe fines. One significant instance is the $52 million punishment AT&T received in 2014 for improper treatment of e-waste and unauthorized disposal of hazardous items in landfills.

How to dispose of old printers properly

To responsibly dispose of old printers, consider recycling, donating, selling and finding trade-in offers.

1. Recycle your old printers.

Recycling is a quick and comparatively simple method of getting rid of obsolete printers. Here are a few possibilities for recycling.

Big-box retailers: Stores like Best Buy frequently place recycling bins out so you may dispose of old printers in the appropriate containers. Target, Staples, and Office Depot are more retailers offering recycling initiatives. These large chains have locations close to most places, so recycling your old devices shouldn’t be a difficult task.

E-waste collection centers: Visiting an e-waste collection facility is an additional choice. Depending on where you reside, there could be a center nearby. For information on e-waste drop-off locations and hours, see the websites of your city hall and your county. Utilizing a recycling facility is a quick solution that solves your issue in an eco-friendly way. Additionally, you might be able to recycle or get rid of your used toner and printer cartridges.

Sponsored local events: Some towns and counties arrange daylong or weekend events to collect electronic garbage, making it even simpler for consumers and business owners to get rid of outdated electronics. You can now proceed after dropping off your printers at the authorized place. Although not every city has such a programmed or day, if yours does, be sure to take note of it so you can get rid of your old devices.

Original manufacturers: You might also get in touch with the printer’s maker. To find out if they will accept your printers, get in touch with Epson, Canon, HP, Sony, and Samsung first. All of these companies have e-waste recycling and take-back programmers. As part of their take-back initiatives, the businesses could only accept a select number of devices.

2. Donate your old printers.

What is garbage to one person may be gold to another. Here are some suggestions about where to donate outdated printers:

Give to a charitable organization. It’s always a good idea to support charities. Numerous groups, including schools, leisure centers, community organizations, thrift stores, charities, and nonprofits, will be pleased to accept the printers and put them to good use if they are still functional. You’ll establish a solid brand reputation inside the neighborhood in the interim.

Find an electronics outreach program. Old printers can also be given to charities that focus on providing electronic aid to those in need. For instance, the World Computer Exchange offers technology to underdeveloped nations, including PCs and accessories. Its website includes a list of the goods that are now required.

See if your manufacturer has a repurposing program.  In order to recycle and repurpose electronics, including printers, several manufacturers collaborate with nonprofits. Dell is one such manufacturer. You may drop off your printers at any Goodwill shop as part of the Dell Reconnect initiative, and they will take care of the rest.

Let a nonprofit sell your old printers. You may still donate your printers even if they are broken. Electronics that don’t operate can be donated to many charities and organizations in exchange for gift cards or sold for money.

Consider giving outdated computers, computer monitors, and other unwanted electrical devices in addition to your printers so that they may help organizations that use technology.

3. Sell your old printers.

If they’re in good condition, there are several ways to turn those old printers into cash. Here are some places where you can sell used printer.

Printers Jack: Here, you may get a price, send the printer, and receive payment by cheque or through PayPal.

SellYourPrinters.com: Similar to Printers Jack, the SellYourPrinters.com service focuses on repairing laser and dot-matrix printers from IT organizations.

Online marketplaces: sale on websites like eBay, Amazon, Bonanza, and Craigslist.

Social media: to advertise your printer locally by writing a post or joining buy-social media: There are many options to sell secondhand technology through social forums and groups, however these groups might grow crowded.

Junk shops and repair shops: You may still recoup part of your investment even if your old printers are no longer functional by selling them to salvage yards and repair facilities. Depending on where you reside, you might need to spend some time looking for these locations before calling to confirm that your brand and kind of printer is accepted.

Although selling printers occasionally might be a headache, it’s an excellent method to reduce the price of buying a new printer. Since printers are often expensive, for some small firms, the sale of a secondhand printer for a few hundred dollars can be quite significant.

4. Trade in your old printer.

If a business or person plans to purchase new or replacement models of printers, big-box sellers of office and technology products, including Best Buy and Staples, frequently accept printer trade-ins.

The value of a trade-in varies per firm. Customers may save $30 to $50 on select Epson printers and scanners in 2022, for instance, when they recycle an older Epson printer or scanner through Best Buy’s in-store-only promotion.

On the other side, Staples has annual “save-and-trade” sales where customers may receive “up to an additional $100 when you trade in your old device.” As part of Staples’ environmental goal, several other electronic products are also eligible for trade-in.

How to prepare a printer for removal

Although certain printer brands, like HP, have their own safety rules for appropriate disposal, most printers are removed and disposed of according to the same general procedures.

Remove ink cartridges. Carefully remove the ink cartridges from the printer (to avoid damaging the docks). You can preserve them for use in another printer, sell them, recycle them, or discard them separately, depending on the kind of ink cartridge.

Other removable memory Remove SD cards (or). It’s crucial to remove any additional memory, especially if you want to throw the printer away. To make sure that your information is secure and available, take out any storage that wasn’t included with the printer.

Restore factory defaults.  Look for a menu item under Settings, Setup, or Maintenance on a touchscreen printer to find choices for returning to the factory defaults, or consult the manual.

Unplug and disconnect wires. Like ink cartridges, wires can be sold, recycled, or stored for later use. Keep any USB and power cords packaged close to the printer if you intend to sell it to prevent loss.

Remove the printer from your computer. Last but not least, delete the printer from your list in the Printers and Scanners area of your computer’s settings. By doing this, printing won’t always use a piece of hardware that you don’t have.

Various printer disposal options

Don’t just discard your outdated printers in the garbage. Used printers and other types of e-waste may be safely disposed of through recycling programmers. If you choose not to recycle, think about making a donation to a nearby charity. If you donate the equipment to a charity, you could even be able to claim a tax break. Try selling the printer to help pay for its replacement if you don’t want to do either of those actions.