In addition rebates, most manufacturers and vendors will supply no-cost return mailers. Staples, Office Depot and OfficeMax, for example, have made most ink cartridges they sell returnable, at $3 worth of coupons in exchange. Also, many corporations and government agencies have given a high priority to recycling them.

But a recent survey by Cartridge World USA shows that people are still throwing these toxic products in the trash, at a growing rate.  Some 70% of all used ink cartridges end up being tossed out. And the number of trashed cartridges is growing at 12% a year, 250 million is the U.S. alone.

While the chemicals in most inks are only mildly toxic, the heavy metals used in the cartridges are as poisonous as those of most electronic components. In our throw-away society the convenience of tossing ink away seems to be worth more than a few dollars and any concern for the health of our water supply.