A printer is WEEE
Anything with a plug is electrical waste (WEEE) and carries the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol, so a printer can't go in your general bin. It has to be recycled — happily, there are several free ways to do it.
Take out the ink or toner first
Before you recycle the printer, remove the ink or toner cartridges — they recycle separately. Many stationery and electronics shops have free cartridge recycling boxes, and some charities collect them to raise funds. Don't just bin cartridges; they're both recyclable and, for toner, a bit messy.
Recycling routes
With the cartridges out, the printer itself has a few homes:
- A household recycling centre — free, in the electricals area
- Retailer take-back when you buy a replacement (WEEE rules)
- A charity or reuse group if it still works
- A licensed collection service for several items at once
The easy option: collected
Clearing a home office or a pile of old kit? We collect printers, computers and electricals from your door, recycle them under WEEE rules and destroy any stored data — a SEPA-registered service across Glasgow and beyond.
A whole office to clear?
We take printers, PCs, monitors and cables in bulk, with data destruction and WEEE recycling. Send a photo for a fixed price.
