Ink cartridge retailers already offer ink refill kits to help you efficiently re-use your empty ink cartridges. But what if instead of ink, you could refill your cartridges with light? That’s the basic idea behind boxlightbox’s shop on Etsy.com. All the available lamps are made from empty Epson ink cartridges. Prices are $35 for single cartridge lamps, and $200 for “chandeliers” made from 8 cartridges of different colors.
So what was the motivation behind making these lamps? Like any good eco-preneur, the creator says, “[m]y workplace goes through ink cartridges like water, and I couldn’t bear to keep tossing them out.” Not exactly a conventional recycling method like the HP Planet Partners program, but there’s certainly a shorter turnaround time if you have an artistic bent. And if nothing else, the simple uniqueness of the end product should help shed light on the need to reduce waste from empty ink cartridges.
