Staples' Ink Cartridge Recycling Policy Vs. Office Depot's Ink Cartridge Return Policy
Comparison of the Two Programs
Staples' Ink Cartridge Recycling Policy Explained
Returning empty ink cartridges to Staples will net you $3 per ink cartridge or toner cartridge. The $3 reward can help stretch already tight budgets for the average consumer, particularly when you know that you are going to need a bunch of school supplies in just a few short months. To cash in, you will need to be a Rewards member, so be sure to have your card handy when you take in your cartridges, although they can also look you up by telephone number.
What Staples takes back: You may be surprised. Staples gladly takes back all manufacturer's ink cartridges whether they are empty or not. Therefore, if you have recently traded your old printer in for a newer one, leaving you stuck with ink cartridges that you can't use, and you can't sell them on eBay or give them away to friends or on Freecycle, you can take them to Staples and they will take them back and give you the $3 credit. They will even take back partially used or completely full cartridges.
How it works: For each ink or toner cartridge taken to their store, they will issue you a $3 credit, which will come as a Staples Reward check. Provided that you meet the $10 minimum, you should receive a check after approximately one month. This is why taking back ink cartridges now will help consumers pay for back-to-school purchases later in the summer. You can only recycle ten cartridges per month, so bear that in mind when you are hauling your ink cartridge stash to Staples to cash in. The ten per month limit is per household, so your spouse cannot sign up to allow you to take in more than the maximum allowed.
Office Depot's Ink Cartridge Recycling Policy Explained
What Office Depot Takes Back: Office Depot will take back any ink or toner cartridge and give you a $3 credit, which comes back to you under their Worklife Rewards Program. They do, however, reserve the right to refuse a visibly damaged cartridge.
How it works: You may also recycle up to 20 cartridges per month - twice as many as allowed under the Staples Rewards Program. Office Depot wants you to shop at their store for other items, therefore your ink rewards cannot exceed the amount that you spend in their store annually. This means that you must be an active shopper and not just use their store to make a quick buck back in rewards. It will take 4-6 weeks for your recycled cartridges funds to be applied to your Worklife Rewards account. Unlike Staples' once monthly ink cartridge return rewards checks, Office Depot issues rewards checks quarterly, and only after $10 has been accrued on the account.
Sources:
http://mediarelations.officedepot.cc/environment/ink-toner.asp
http://www.staplesrewardscenter.com/SORC/UserManagement/Login/LearnStaplesRewards.aspx
Personal experience recycling ink cartridges
Information retrieved on 6/7/2010 and is correct as of that date.
Published by Carly Hart
One of AC's Top 1000 Content Producers, Carly Hart's interests include news, politics, parenting, frugal living and consumer related issues. A Featured Contributor in the Shopping and Fashion category, she... View profile
- Recycling Used Ink Cartridges: Money Making Ideassearching for at home money making ideas, I came across a way to make some cash and do some good for the environment. It's so easy any one can do it.
- Should I Refill the Ink Cartridges in My Printer? Do you use refill kits for the ink cartridges in your printer? Read this informative article and learn about these kits!
- Easy Ways to Recycle Your Ink and TonerFour simple ways to recycle your old ink cartridges.
- Hidden Benefits of Recycling Ink CartridgesThis article describes how any one can help others by recycling ink cartridges.
- Kodak's ESP-5 All-in-One printer: Finally, a Printer with Affordable Ink CartridgesThe most important feature of this printer is Kodak's high-quality pigmented inks that come in a two cartridge system. The black ink cartridge only cost $9.99 and the color cartridge is $14.99.
- Earn Extra Dollars: Recycle Empty Ink Cartridge
- How to Recycle Printer Ink Cartridges
- How to Sign Up for an Office Depot Worklife Rewards Card
- Guide to Cheap Ink Cartridges for Printers, Fax Machines & Copiers
- How to Safely Dispose of Batteries, Motor Oil, Paint & Ink Cartridges
- Printer Ink: Printer Manufacturers Cash Cow?
- Save Money on Printer Ink Cartridges, Buy a Hewlett-Packard-HP Printer
- If you have more than 20 cartridges, Office Depot may be the better choice.
- If you need a quicker turnaround of cartridge rewards money, Staples may be the better choice.
12 Comments
Post a CommentInfo Update - Staples allows only $2 per cartridge now. Office Depot still the better deal - 11.9.11
As of March 2011, Staples Rewards will be going online. No more paper rewards! You will be able to print your rewards from your own computer.
Office Depot's Ink Cartridge Recycle program is a complete scam!!!
My husband and I are going through the same bad experience with OFFICE DEPOT today 12/09/2010 we phoned customer service recycling program of OFFICE DEPOT to find out why we have not received the rewards cards from June + July with 34 total cartridges and to our surprise, they informed we will receive only $ 28.00 and some cents still and will have to wait another 4 weeks or 5 weeks because the card is missing , also those who paid $ 3.00 for each cartridge now without notice started to be $ 2.00 cartridges.
Before any transation we asked the manager who authorized more than20 cartridges they received (06/30/10) the first time 17 cartridges on the same day and with 1 minute after the first transation the manager call us and he authorized the employee receive five cartridges and he assured us that in the twenty-two
( 22) cartridges would be credited. NOT TRUE.
It's a shame that the Office Depot beh
staples is the place to go
I have a complaint 2 Office Depot. I recycled 40 ink cartridges @ $3 each total $120. The quarter ended SEPT 30. I CALLED WAS TOLD I WOULD RECIEVE IT IN 60 DAYS. It never came. I made another call was told I would loose my $120 @ the end of yr.(never recieved an email or anything telling me this) that I would have to go in & spend $120 out of my pocket. I would receive my money back maybe in FEB!!!!!!!!!!. I need it now!!!!!!!!! getting the run around. I need help with this. I want satisfaction or my cardtridges back. There are others I know that never received theirs.
I do the Staples Reward ink recycling because Office Depot your rewards can not exceed your purchases and I never shop there. I do not shop with money at Staples either just recycle my ink cartridges and spend my rewards (Just bought a new Kodak Digital Camera fw/ my rewards) .There are a few things I do not like, like only 10 per month, they just lower each ink cartridge to $2 each, and there is on expiration date on the ink rewards checks so you can not save them up and they don't roll over. I wish Office Depot would be the better place to ink recycle if they would change that pesky rule about rewards not exceeding purchases. I mean they are making money off those ink cartridges why do they not want their customers doing it, the money is going right back to them, hand over fist.
Staples will no longer offer $3 for ink cartridge empties as of July 1, 2010. They will offer $2 instead. Please take your cartridges in before the change over and make note of the new amount offered for empties.
Very nice job with this.
Good advice!
I went to Office Depot b/c it's closer. Reading this article, Staples sounds like a better fit for me.