Waste Ink Disposal
Disposing of the waste ink collected by your Printer Potty is currently generic but we are exploring and welcome other options that could make use of or recycle it.
Current Recommended Method
Once you have decanted the waste ink into a suitable container such as a juice carton, or similar disposable bottle you should seal the container and immediately put it in your general waste.
Note: The process of emptying the Printer Potty waste ink tank is described in our Printer Potty Basics Guide.
Methods to avoid
Please do not dispose of the ink in the following ways:
- Pouring down the sink/toilet
It is unlikely your water treatment works will treat the water for chemical pollutants so please don’t do it - Flush/Empty into a septic tank
The bacteria in septic tanks do not digest inks and inks may actually result in reduced effectiveness of such bacteria - Storage
Please do not store the waste ink in any form or location where children, animals or other organisms could come into contact and possibly drink the contents! - In household bin (inside)
Putting a waste ink in a household bin may result in the container being pierced, burst or similar from other rubbish/trash/garbage. Please put in your outside bin/garbage unit or similar, to avoid an accident within the house
Alternative Re-uses
Some users will attempt to use the waste ink as an alternative for their black ink although this is not recommended as the waste ink includes lint, dust and other particulate matter that will cause clogging in your printheads and result in more cleaning cycles, creating yet more waste ink.
Use of a 3 micron filter (for pigment) or 0.25 micron (for dye) might remove the bulk of contamination and render the ink useable but you will need the necessary equipment to do this.
You could use the inks for other activities such as calligraphy, or even in fountain pens
It is not recommended using for children’s activities due to the chemical composition of some inks.
Location specific disposal information
Different countries and municipalities will have widely differing and changing guidance on how to dispose of chemicals like ink so it’s important to check with your local authorities if you have any concerns.
