Ink and toner cartridges — free, any brand
Staples recycles empty ink cartridges, toner cartridges and drum units for free, in store, regardless of brand. You can simply drop them at the counter.
There's also a rewards incentive, but it comes with strings: under Staples' published terms you need to be a rewards member who has spent a qualifying amount on ink or toner at Staples over the prior 180 days, and rewards are capped at a set number of cartridges per month. Staples has moved from its older Staples Rewards program to Easy Rewards, and the exact per-cartridge value and monthly limit change over time — so check the current figure in the Staples app or your Easy Rewards account rather than relying on an old number. The recycling itself is free whether or not you qualify for a reward.
Electronics Staples takes for free
Staples accepts a broad range of consumer electronics for free in-store recycling, any brand: desktops and laptops, tablets and e-readers, phones, routers and modems, hard drives and flash drives, keyboards and mice, gaming consoles and controllers, cameras, shredders, streaming devices, smart speakers and watches, earbuds and headphones, and cables, chargers and adapters.
One important limit: Staples does not accept televisions, and computer monitors are capped at 49 inches (and carry a fee — see below).
What costs a fee (and where it's waived)
A few larger items are recycled for a fee, though several states waive it:
Printers and multifunction devices — $9.99 each. Fee waived in CA, CT, IL, NC, NJ, NY, PA and RI.
Monitors up to 49 inches — $29.99 each. Same state exemptions as printers.
Batteries (rechargeable and single-use) — $2.99 per visit, not per battery. Fee waived in CA, IL, MN, NY and VT. Since 2024, via recycling partner ERI, Staples accepts a wide range of chemistries including alkaline, lithium-ion, NiMH and small sealed lead-acid.
Returns vs recycling, and prepping a printer
Note the difference between returning and recycling a cartridge. Staples' return policy only refunds unopened, unexpired ink and toner — opened or expired cartridges can't be refunded. But an opened or empty cartridge can still be dropped off for free recycling.
Before you recycle an old printer, remove the ink or toner cartridges (recycle them separately, free), and if it's a Wi-Fi or memory-equipped model, perform a factory reset to wipe stored network credentials and any saved scan or fax data. Reset steps are specific to your printer's maker (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother), not Staples.