Costco Inkjet Cartridge Refill Service

Costco has a new inkjet cartridge refill service in many locations. They do this in the Photo center. Not only do you save money over purchasing a new cartridge, you also reduce waste by recycling what you already have.

Refilling a HP 901 XL Black cartridge costs $9.99, buying a new one costs $29.99. You can find re-manufactured ink cartridges from Amazon for even less cost than refilling.

Infotrends estimates that roughly 85% of printer cartridges are thrown away after just one use or 350 million empty cartridges are ending up in landfills.

You should refill the cartridge as soon as possible after running low on ink.  If you continue to print with one color empty, the print head nozzles will be damaged and the cartridge may not refill properly. We have had Costco tell us that we could not refill our cartridge because it was one color was totally dry. Keep the cartridge in a ‘print head down’ position as much as possible.

Ink cartridges are big money makers for printer companies like HP.  They label their cartridges with “Intended for single use only.” and “No licensed for modification”. When looking for a new printer, be sure to review ink costs before buying.

If Costco does not refill a certain cartridge, try some online vendors that may have ink refill kits.

Related posts:

1. HP Officejet Pro 8500 Inkjet Printer Eco Friendly, Green?
2. Inkjet and Toner Saving Software
3. Green Office Supplies at Office Depot
4. Non eco Friendly Costco Effect
5. Costco CFL Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb Sale

Posted on December 8th, 2009
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