All items · Electrical
Used printers and ink cartridges
Also covers: printer, inkjet printer, laser printer, printer ink, toner cartridge
Why shops refuse it
Used printers can be costly to test and may be incomplete or uneconomical without working cartridges, cables and drivers.
What to do instead
Manufacturer and office-supply recycling schemes often take cartridges; working printers may be suitable for a computer reuse project.
Charity by charity
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Can't accept
British Heart Foundation
Their wording
“Home printers — unless brand new and boxed with ink supplies”
-
Can't accept
Claire House Children's Hospice
broad category rule
Blanket exclusion of electrical items, though brand-new factory-sealed hard drives, SD cards or USB sticks are excepted.
Their wording
“Electrical items”
-
Can't accept
Cornwall Hospice Care
Printers not accepted unless new in box
Their wording
“CRT Tube/old fashioned TVs”
-
Can't accept
Phyllis Tuckwell
broad category rule
No electrical items of any kind currently accepted
Their wording
“Unfortunately we are currently unable to accept any electrical items or suitcases.”
-
Can't accept
Princess Alice Hospice
Their wording
“Computers, monitors or printers”
-
Can't accept
St Christopher's Hospice
Also covers printers
Their wording
“Printers and large or non-digital TVs”
-
Can't accept
Trinity Hospice (Blackpool)
Printers
Their wording
“Printers”
-
Can't accept
Willen Hospice
Their wording
“Printers, TVs and monitors”
-
Can't accept
Woodgreen Pets Charity
Their wording
“Ink cartridges”
-
Check first
Overgate Hospice
Printers and ink cartridges only accepted if brand new.
Their wording
“Printers or Printer ink cartridges (unless brand new)”
-
Check first
Save the Children
broad category rule
Exception: accepted at selected stores — donors are told to check first.
Their wording
“unable to accept electrical goods (except in selected stores - please check first)”
-
Check first
Shaw Trust
Used printers only accepted new/boxed with ink.
Their wording
“used printers (unless new/boxed with ink)”
Not mentioned in 32 charities' guidance
Absence from a charity's list doesn't mean they accept it — it just isn't singled out. Ask your local shop.
- Not mentioned Acorns Children's Hospice
- Not mentioned Age UK
- Not mentioned Barnardo's
- Not mentioned British Red Cross
- Not mentioned Cancer Research UK
- Not mentioned Crisis
- Not mentioned DEBRA
- Not mentioned Dogs Trust
- Not mentioned Dorothy House
- Not mentioned Emmaus
- Not mentioned FARA Charity Shops
- Not mentioned Great Western Air Ambulance Charity
- Not mentioned Keech Hospice Care
- Not mentioned LOROS Hospice
- Not mentioned Marie Curie
- Not mentioned Octavia Foundation
- Not mentioned Oxfam
- Not mentioned PDSA
- Not mentioned Salvation Army (SATCoL)
- Not mentioned Samaritans
- Not mentioned Scope
- Not mentioned Sense Scotland
- Not mentioned Shelter
- Not mentioned St Barnabas Hospice (Lincolnshire)
- Not mentioned St Giles Hospice
- Not mentioned St Peter's Hospice
- Not mentioned St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP)
- Not mentioned Sue Ryder
- Not mentioned The Children's Trust
- Not mentioned Traid
- Not mentioned Wales Air Ambulance
- Not mentioned YMCA (England & Wales)