Twenty-four thousand printer cartridges were recycled by the Logan City Council area in last year’s Cartridges 4 Planet Ark campaign.
Jimboomba residents managed to recycle 600 of those cartridges from April 2015 to March 2016.
Since the inception of the program in 2003 the Logan City Council electorate has recycled 183,200 cartridges.
This is equivalent to at least 16 backyard pools full of printer cartridges.
Electronic waste is one of the consistently fastest-growing forms of waste due to rapid innovation, decreasing product lifespans and declining prices.
Planet Ark recycling programs manager Ryan Collins said product programs like Cartridges 4 Planet Ark are essential in moving towards zero waste systems, as they set up the basis for collecting used consumer items and converting them from a waste product into a resource for making new products.
“Generating waste is a burden for both businesses and the environment, so reducing waste and recovering valuable materials is a growing focus for everyone,” he said.
“Cartridges 4 Planet Ark is one of the longest-running examples of an extended producer responsibility program in Australia.
“We run a number of recycling information services and every year we see electronic waste highlighted as the most searched items, so we know that people are looking to responsibly recycle these products.”
Planet Ark campaign ambassador and seven-time world champion surfer Layne Beachley is calling on everyone to recycle their printer cartridges responsibly as printer cartridges can take 450 to 1000 years to break down.
Planet Ark is asking recyclers to take a selfie while recycling a cartridge using the #WhatsNotToLove hashtag to be in the running for prizes.
Find a retail drop-off location or call 1300 733 712.
