John C. Arkin asked:


When your old Dell inkjet cartridges stop working in your printer, you may be tempted to just toss them in the trash before buying a brand new one. However, that is not your only option. You can also choose to either recycle or refill your used your cartridges in order to save the environment and/or money.

Refilling Dell Cartridges

Refilling your Dell cartridges is a good way to save money on ink supplies. Although the manufacturers aren’t crazy about the practice because you won’t be handing over more of your hard-earned money to them, there is nothing wrong with reusing the cartridges. It’s a good way of doing your own recycling while also saving money.

When to Refill

One important point to remember about refilling your used cartridges is that you cannot wait until they are completely empty. If you wait too long, the ink can end up clogging the nozzles on the cartridge which will prevent it from working correctly. Instead, refill when some ink is left in the cartridge.

The Refilling Process

First, you’re going to find a good place to work where a little bit of a mess won’t cause problems. Make sure to have plenty of paper towels handy as well. Now you’re ready to follow the process below:

• Use a 1/16 inch drill to make a small hole where the “E” in Dell is written on the top of the printer ink cartridge

• Fill a syringe with about 10 to 15 milliliters of ink

• Slide the needle into the hold and slowly inject the ink. Make sure the needle goes deeply into the hard sponge that is included in the cartridge

• Keep above a paper towel for an hour to catch drips

• Return the cartridge to your printer after letting it set overnight

Final Refilling Tips

After you finish adding the ink, do not leave the cartridge on a paper towel. The towel will re-absorb the ink and delete all of your hard work. Also, be sure not to leave the cartridge out for too long without taping over the hole to prevent the drying up of the new ink.