If you're like most people, you follow the instructions to change laser printer toner when it's necessary and then forget about it. However, you might be missing out on opportunities to extend the life of your laser printer toner, and you may not be disposing of it properly.
What is laser printer toner, anyway?
Laser printer toner is the ink cartridge that goes inside the laser printer so you can print your documents. It is a black, powdery substance, and if you're not careful when changing or installing your toner, you can easily spill it all over the place. It's different than ink jet ink, because it's not a liquid; the laser printer toner is applied to a page as a powder, and then the printer uses a heat system called a fuser to basically melt the toner onto the paper.
How do I dispose of old laser printer toner cartridges?
Did you know that your laser printer toner could contain chemicals that are considered hazardous waste? Improper disposal of laser printer toner cartridges can harm the environment and could even get you fined for improper disposal of hazardous chemicals. You've got a few options for properly disposing of laser printer toner cartridges.
First, check with the manufacturer. Many laser printer toner manufacturers offer recycling programs, and even pay the postage for you to send your old toner off to be recycled. If the manufacturer doesn't offer recycling services, try your local office supply store. Office Depot, Office Max and Staples all offer toner recycling services; you can simply drop the cartridge off and forget about it. Finally, some online providers offer laser toner recycling programs. Recycleplace.com gives you anywhere from a few pennies to a few dollars for recycling your laser toner cartridge, and they'll even pay for postage.
How to get the most out of your toner.
Laser printer manufacturers often sell their printers at a reduced rate, but make up for the shortfall by forcing consumers to buy lots of toner cartridges. One method manufacturers use to do this is to include sensors on the cartridge that advise users to replace the cartridge even when it's not empty. If your laser printer toner is still printing high-quality prints, but the machine is telling you to replace it, do a search online and find out if you can disable the sensor on your toner cartridge. Some toner cartridges can be overridden by the user and used to print hundreds or thousands of additional pages.
Name brand laser toner vs. refills and generics.
While laser printer toner cartridges can get expensive, be careful about scrimping on refills or generics. At the very least, you could face a compatibility issue; at most, you could void your warranty by using anything other than the manufacturer's laser printer toner. If you do use generics or refills, do extensive research to make sure other users haven't had any trouble, and be aware that you're risking your warranty.
 | While laser printers create an image and throw powdered ink (toner) to paper that passes over an electrically charged drum, an inkjet printer sprays tiny dots of ink onto the page to create the image. A laser printer is standard equipment in offices around the world. |
 | With all the different types of print technology available, the decision of whether to get an all-in-one color laser printer or some other type of printer could be tough. While inkjet printers are losing ground to all-in-one color laser printers in some respects, they're still a better choice for some applications. |
Laser printers can still hold their own against ink jets when it comes to speed, text resolution and ownership costs. |
When laser printers first came on the market, they were ridiculously expensive and those who just had to have the latest in technology paid the price. However, now that so much time has elapsed since their debut, the prices have come down to nearly affordable. |
By far the most annoying peripheral for a computer has to be the printer. It either jams, runs out of ink or just plain acts funny. You have finally gotten to the point where you have to break down and buy a printer, but the technology changes every six months and you just can't keep up. |
