A pilot project to recycle used printer and laser ink cartridges has generated enough interest that its backers - the City of Knoxville's Public Service Department and Cartridge World - may consider expanding it.

The city and Cartridge World are partners in the program that started at three city Recycling Drop-off Super Centers back in November.

Home Depot is providing the containers for the effort.

"With just three months into the project the results so far are very promising," said John Homa, the city's solid waste project manager. "At this point Cartridge World has collected close to 1,100 cartridges."

Homa said if collections continue at that pace the city and Cartridge World would probably broaden the effort.

"We are considering adding two more recycling centers to the project if we find it continues to be as successful in the next three to four months," he said. "There are literally hundreds of millions of cartridges going into landfills across the country each year and most all of them could be reused or recycled."

The pilot effort is being conducted in recycling centers at 5303 Broadway in Fountain City; 341 Parkvillage Road near Cedar Bluff and at the Downtown Recycling Center at 400 State Street.

"We are excited to be part of this pilot project," said Scott Landry, owner of Cartridge World, located at 9430 Northshore Drive. "All materials collected will be recycled or disposed of properly by our store and business partners. And, buying refurbished and recycled products is one way customers can save anytime, not just during times of economic stress."

According to figures supplied by Landry:

It takes about a gallon of oil to make a new laser cartridge

In North America alone over 350 million cartridges per year are discarded in landfills and that number is increasing by about 12 percent annually.

A laser cartridge thrown into a landfill can take up to 450 years to decompose.

Every remanufactured cartridge saves nearly 3.5 pounds of solid waste from being deposited in landfills.

Seventy percent of used printer cartridges throughout the world are currently being thrown out.

For more information about this recycling effort please contact John Homa at 865-215-2872 or Scott Landry at 865-690-4465 or 865-803-0308.