You have a printer at home you haven't used in over a year. The cartridges dried up, maybe you replaced them once and it wasn't worth it, or you just stopped printing because everything goes through WhatsApp or email now.
That printer is taking up space and will probably end up in the trash next time you clean. But there are better options.
First: does it still work?
Before deciding what to do, plug it in and turn it on. There are three scenarios:
Turns on and prints Perfect. It can help someone who needs it. Many students, small businesses, and community centers in Panama still rely on printing physical documents — resumes, forms, schoolwork.
Turns on but doesn't print well Probably needs a head cleaning or new cartridges. That's easy to fix. At Crezendo, students practice printer maintenance as part of the repair workshop.
Doesn't turn on Could be the power supply, the board, a cable. Or it might be beyond repair. Either way, it's still useful — internal components (motors, rollers, carriages, ribbon cables) serve as spare parts for other printers.
Why a printer is useful for Crezendo
It doesn't sound as glamorous as a laptop, but printers are practical equipment in an educational setting:
- Our centers need to print — study guides, certificates, enrollment forms, lesson plans
- Students practice maintenance — unclogging heads, replacing cartridges, calibrating alignment
- They learn about mechanical hardware — printers have motors, belts, rollers, and sensors that teach principles of mechanics and electronics
- Small businesses need them — some Crezendo graduates start businesses that require printing: screen printing, flyers, invoices
Ink cartridges: a separate problem
Ink and toner cartridges are polluting waste. They contain chemical pigments, plastics, and metals that shouldn't go in regular trash.
What to do with them:
- If sealed and unused: donate them along with the printer. They're valuable.
- If empty: some can be refilled. Those that can't are recycled as plastic and metal.
- If dried out with residual ink: don't open or break them. Store them and hand them over with the printer.
At Crezendo we receive cartridges along with printers. Working ones get used; the rest go to recycling.
Laser vs. inkjet printers
Both are useful, but serve different purposes:
Inkjet
- More common in homes
- Cheaper to maintain
- Ideal for low-volume printing
- Cartridges are easier to refill
Laser
- More common in offices
- Faster and more efficient for high volumes
- Toner lasts much longer than ink
- Excellent for training centers that print lots of documents
If your company is getting rid of laser printers, we'd love to have them.
What to do if the printer really can't be saved
If you've evaluated the printer and it's definitely beyond repair, don't throw it in the trash. Do this instead:
- Remove the cartridges — set them aside, they don't go in regular waste
- Take out power and USB cables — they can be donated separately
- Donate the printer body — at Crezendo we disassemble it and salvage every piece
Printers contain stepper motors, drive belts, optical sensors, circuits, and bearings — all useful in electronics and robotics workshops.
The easiest option: donate everything together
You don't need to diagnose the printer yourself. You don't need to clean it, remove cartridges, or do anything other than contact us.
We receive the printer as-is, with or without cartridges, working or not. We handle the rest.
How to deliver your printer
In Panama City: We arrange pickup. A printer isn't as fragile as a laptop — it transports easily.
In the interior of the country: Ship it via courier. Home printers are lightweight. Office printers are heavier but still shippable.
From abroad: Our Miami address:
Alejandro Sánchez / RE577 15421 SW 26TH TER - RE577 Miami, FL 33185-4866 United States Phone: +1 305 848 1127
Message us on WhatsApp first.
Don't throw it away
A printer in the trash is plastic, metal, and chemicals ending up in the ground. At Cerro Patacón and other Panamanian landfills, there's no special treatment for electronic waste.
Your old printer can still print, teach, or be disassembled piece by piece. It just needs to reach the right place.
Message us and we'll coordinate.
