Would this make you recycle ink cartridges? January 26, 2012 15:56 by Matt Bird

While this post is in no way meant to denigrate those who do not recycle, I personally believe that the non-recyclers would be easily converted if the following happened:

• it was clearer what could be recycled
• it was clearer how to recycle them
• it was easier to recycle them

A Californian company has taken steps to tackle this, with a clever little machine that makes it amazingly easy to recycle portable devices such as iPods, iPads and Kindles with the minimum of fuss. Their company is trying to make a difference, with a company message of the fascinating statistic only 10% of used phones and similar electronic equipment gets a 2nd-life in some way, they are aiming to solve my major qualms of recycling-transparency and ease.

How does it work?

You couldn't want it much simpler. Each "ecoATM" has a recycling station that can electronically and visually inspect nearly any consumer electronic device, which then finds the best available price for your product from a worldwide secondary market.

The customers whom are recycling then deposit the electronic item, to immediately receive cash or in-store credit if the ATM is within a store.

How perfect would this be for printer cartridges?

This ecoATM would be an incredibly addition to the third-party market. Allowing customers to not only drop-off unwanted or used cartridges whilst on a standard shop, but actually receive money there and then, would surely lead to a significant increase in cartridges.

With the ecoATM's ability to discern quality and condition of cartridges, plus differentiate between the type of cartridge, would mean customers could easily see what's recyclable, what's not, and the value for each. Here's hoping...

Read more details on ecoATM here. If you've seen any other fascinating recycling stories then comment below and let us know!