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West Dorset District Council has installed the new recycling banks in Beaminster, Bridport, Charmouth, Dorchester, Lyme Regis and Sherborne.

The cartridges are cleaned, refilled and resold by a private company.  The sale of the cartridges raises money for the Whitfield Rural Activities Centre near Dorchester, which organises activities for local people with mental health problems.

The Whitfield Centre already collects aluminium foil dropped in recycling banks. The containers and wrappers are sorted, crushed and re-sold.

Sarah Chubb Acting Manager at the centre said:
"We have collected 114 bales of aluminium in the past three months and the amount being put in the foil banks appears to be going up steadily. It's great to be involved in the printer cartridge recycling. Our clients really enjoy the work and it raises their motivation and self-esteem."

Centre client Chris Northcote said:
"The foil project gives me a great sense of purpose and makes me feel as if I am making a worthwhile contribution to environmental causes. I hope this long-term project will remain at Whitfield Rural Activity Centre and grow."

West Dorset District Council Leader Robert Gould said:
"Schemes like this help excellent local groups like the Whitfield Centre raise money towards their running costs while reducing the amount of waste going into landfill sites. I would urge everyone to do their bit for the environment as well as a good local cause and recycle their printer cartridges using these new banks."

The new printer cartridge banks sit next to others for plastic bottles, aluminium foil, textiles, books, records, CDs and tapes. Glass, tins, batteries and mixed paper are collected as part of the district council's kerbside recycling service.