Don't throw out that printer cartridge!

Three printer cartridges are thrown away every second. Chances are, you have thrown away several yourself. But you can turn this trash into treasure, and help out a local charity at the same time.

“To date we've been able to donate over half a million dollars to local charities and schools” says Carlie Albano. Half a million dollars that otherwise would have ended up at the bottom of a dump.

Four years ago Carlie Albano of Webster discovered that there was big money in used ink cartridges. She is the founder of "Imagine It... Fundraising through Recycling", a company with a simple plan that gives big bucks back to the community. And Carlie wants more organizations and businesses to get involved. Albano said: “They just need to chose a local charity that they would like to donate to, give us a call we'll drop off a bin, we'll pick up once a month or however often they need, and all of that funding goes to their chosen charity or school in a monthly check."

If you are a Rochester resident, chances are you have passed by one of Imagine It's drop-off bins. Chances are that your local Wegmans has a drop bin, and other areas range from libraries and community centers to nearly all YMCA locations. Carlie wanted to add that “we make it extremely easy for them to fundraise, basically we do all the work."

Carlie mentioned she didn’t have a nickname, so Bob and photographer Jason agreed that from now on, Carlie should be appropriately called “The Cartridge Queen.” Check out Imagine It’s website at imagineRECYCLING.com to find out more information along with your nearest drop-box location. You can also call them at 872-5802.