how would I know whether a disused toner cartridge was empty? (missing the printer)
 

After cleaning a closet recently, I finally dug out my broken Brother laser printer and dumped it on Goodwill for recycling. Later, I found an old disused toner cartridge that probably belonged to that printer. No problem, I looked on Goodwill's website and saw that they'll take loose cartridges too. (Another reason to love Goodwill stores.)



Since they're able to get rid of electronic junk for me, this is only a curiosity. One of the things I've never been sure of about toner cartridges is: how are you supposed to know whether a cartridge has any toner left, if the printer software can't tell? Possibly because you you don't have the printer anymore, which is the case here. Since I'm dumping the cartridge, it will be Goodwill's concern, not mine; but if the store wants to know whether the cartridge contains any toner, how will they find out? If there's any way to just open it and look, I've never known. Is there?

Trying to open the cartridge is probably a bad idea and your most likely going to make a mess. As far as I know there is no inspection window on purpose due to how a laser printer works.

Depends on how the manufacture designed the printer but as far as I know there are built in sensors that can detect the level and the only way to know is if you try it in a printer.

The smart way for them to tell is to stick it in a printer. If they don't have the printer, there isn't much point in selling used cartridges.

If it's in the box and it's 3 bucks, maybe it's worth putting on the shelf. It's a donation, I'm sure 5 or 10 bucks are worth it if the box is shut. I know those things can cost more like 100 when theyre new. But they cost Goodwill nothing.

Goodwill throws out a lot of stuff they can't sell. I don't think they have computer technicians on staff. If it doesn't do anything when you plug it in, they won't sell it for much-- or at all. I don't recommend trying to open it. Even if you did, and you didn't get that stuff everywhere, you're going to have a fun time trying to figure out how much is in there. If you knew how much a full one weighed, you could go by the difference.

Thanks

Thanks, that pretty well answers the question: I just can't know. Thanks for the tip to not dump the cartridge on Goodwill. I'll find another place.

Do Brother still make the model? If so, do they run a recycling program? If not, then I I think it's just, sadly, landfill.

Yes they do. Usually there is a return address label in the new cartridge box for the spent one. Local recyclers might accept the old one

If you're always using cartridges for the same printer, with experience you can tell full from empty by the weight. But a lot harder if it's a cartridge you don't normally use. But if you tilt it and it feels like there's weight shifting inside, then it's probably part full.

You can send it for recycling, chances are it'll be turned into a remanufactured cartridge.

Brother recycles only genuine Brother cartridges
 

I looked into this. The limitation of their program is the obvious one: they will take only genuine Brother products. That makes the program useless to me, because like many people, I buy generics. I almost wish I could expect them to recycle products that merely work in their equipment, but they're neither a charity nor a dedicated recycling company.

OT:
i find it distasteful how you abuse as your personal problematic waste solution a non-profit organisation that is trying to help people & the planet.

since you seem to know that the printer (and most likely the cartridge too) is worthless you should do the decent thing and bring it to the recycling station yourself, not let some vocational rehabilitants take the brunt for you, for free.

like somebody else said, they have to throw away lots of donations already (but aren't allowed to refuse or complain if it isn't very obvious that the "donation" is worthless).