Green Patchwork

According to Caboodle Cartridges’ website, it takes approximately 3.5 quarts of oil to manufacture one printer cartridge and it takes about a 1000 years to decompose. When ink cartridges are thrown into landfills toxins from the inks and chemicals used to make the cartridges seep into the groundwater and soil and cause more pollution. Instead of throwing your cartridge away have it refilled. I started taking my printer cartridges to Caboodle some years ago and I discovered that along with not polluting the landfills I am also saving money. When I take my empty cartridges to Caboodle I exchange my empties for new ink cartridges that are compatible with my printer and I pay about the half the cost of new cartridges. You can read more about Caboodle’s cartridge procedures at their website.

Madison’s Caboodle store is located at 2858 University Ave in the University Station plaza, next to Dairy Queen and the old Magic Mill.

Not every city has a Caboodle, but there are other companies recycling ink cartridges. Just do an online search to find your nearest retailer. A little time and searching is worthwhile in the long run, don’t give up and throw out your cartridges. Think about the future generations everytime you throw something away.

Did you ever think you would be able to purchase a laptop with bamboo paneling? Me neither, but someone sent me the link to Asus’ new EcoBook. You gotta see it to believe it.

Also, Greenpeace has put out a guide to green electronics- see how yours compares to others. Electronics have become part of our daily lives and even though they are not eco-friendly we buy them anyway. I’m glad to see companies are listening to consumer demands and are making the effort to lessen their environmental impact.