Ideal Bite

For stuff you have to print such as boarding passes, see if there's a box you can check to NOT print the "local sites of interest" or advertising, and only print the boarding pass itself. On other e-things, if you only need page 1 of 3, then set the printer to print only page 1, not all the "fluff" at the end of the email. If you don't have a printer that can print double sided, just turn the printed page over and print on the back. We keep a box of paper to be re-printed on. Also, some office supply stores will give you $3 credit on your next purchase if you bring in an ink cartridge to be recycled. We use the credit towards buying recycled paper although the store permits the credit to be used on anything you want.

I just finished setting my Ms Word to print with Sprang Eco Sans. Perfectly legible and easy to install. Got me thinking... Is there a way we can put pressure on Printer Companies to make them sell refillable-at-home ink cartridges. I have been refilling my own cartridges for years now, but you really have to ''want to''and can get pretty messy before you find out how! Instead of working their butts off finding ways to prevent us from refilling, they should make it easy. Refilling at home is the eco way. It leaves an even smaller ''footprint'' and would be perfectly logical. There is a website that can give you the how-to for most of the printers out there: http://ims-ink.com/index.html You can order ink but if you get your own, the instructions are still working! You can always fiddle around with an old cartridge and find out the way it's done, sometimes, even if they tell you that you cannot refill it, it can still be done: I have an HP Deskjet F4280 and all I have to do is close the printer, move the ink cartridge by hand to the refilling ''door'' and remove without touching the metal contacts on the front. I lift the sticker on top and fill a little at a time (the refill bottles have long needles to prevent messy jobs), replace the cartridge and restart. It's that easy! (even easier for the black only cartridge) Have been using the same cartridge for six months now and it costs me about a buck to refill! All you have to do is make sure that you do not let your cartridge go empty but refill when it still has some ink left in it! Saves on gas too cause I do it at home! Here in Montreal, I can even find ink in the Dollar Store! Marie

For those businesses that must print but are eco-conscious, please visit ecogreenoffice.com for the nations most recognized green printer cartridge program. The products are made in the U.S.A. (not sourced from overseas) under zero defect conditions. EcoGreenOffice also collects empty cartridges to divert them from landfills or on cargo ships to third world countries.

For years I have printed (not eco friendly) many recipes. They are organized in three-ring binders by category. Over the years our tastes have changed so many of the recipes would never be used. I purged them last year and retrieved a 14-inch stack of paper I'm recycling printing on the unused side. Now I think twice before printing anything and being retired there are very few things I need to print on "clean" paper. So far that stack has lasted 9 months and still counting.

Another smart way to print less of the unnecessary stuff is to install the GreenPrint printer (http://www.printgreener.com/). This feature shows you all the pages that you are trying to print (especially nice if you are printing off a webpage and are unsure about the length of the print job) and automatically selects the pages that it deems unnecessary (you can select and unselect them as well). The fun thing it does in addition to that is it shows you how many pages and trees you have saved.

take your cartridge to walgreens and they will refill cheaper than buying new.

i can't understand lazy people that still don't recycle stuff that is comparatively easy to return to the loop. Read this printer cartridges recycling guide and find a recycling spot near you today!

Here's a little secret online ink cartridge store: www.inkcloners.com They got good prices. Use this to get 10% off: lovemyink Good luck

This is a really great idea, ecological and economic but i still have a question : Is there cartridges for all type of printers or just for specific one ? David Betclick

I'm recycling printing on the unused side. Now I think twice before printing anything and being retired there are very few things I need to print on "clean" paper, such as fast cars images.