The U.S. Postal Service is allowing customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free of charge.
Seventy-five Chicago Post Offices are participating in this program pilot; the closest participating Chicago Post Office to Evanston is located at 7615 N Paulina.
The “Mail Back” program helps consumers discard used or obsolete small electronics in an environmentally responsible way. Customers use free envelopes to mail back inkjet cartridges, PDAs, Blackberries, digital cameras, iPods and MP3 players – without having to pay for postage.
Anyone can participate in the program, provided they pick up the mailer at a participating Chicago Post Office. The free, postage-paid Mail Back envelopes can be found on displays in Post Office lobbies. There is no limit to the number of envelopes customers may take.
Postage is paid for by Clover Technologies Group, a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small electronics.
If the electronic item or cartridges cannot be refurbished and resold, its component parts are reused to refurbish other items, or the parts are broken down further and the materials are recycled.