Ink Cartridge Recycling in Schools

A list of schools was obtained, and the phone calls began. Much to the surprise of the group, most schools already collect ink cartridges for recycling. Those schools that did not were sent information and of those schools, only some were interested in starting a collection. Some schools were interested in the environmental aspects; others, however, were interested in the $3/cartridge incentive, which really stresses the importance of having Community-Based Social Marketing implemented in Pine Jog projects. The Staples Recycle for Education was chosen as the program to collect the cartridges, and the project was on its way. Some difficulties included safety concerns from the schools, and others were the lack of interest, the lack of knowledge, and also the process of school approval of the project. Regardless, the program will affect every student of the schools that join the program because funds can easily be raised for the school through the incentive. The health of the environment is another benefit, as recycling the cartridges prevents them from ending up in landfills and saves natural resources.