Finding the Waste Toner Cartridge – A Simple Guide

Updated: Feb 10, 2024 12:37 PM
waste toner cartridge guide

As you clean and maintain your top-rated laser printer for the first time, you may be wondering exactly where to find the waste toner cartridge. This component is used to collect any residual toner that remains on the print drum or other parts of the printer after each print job.

While the machine itself isn’t difficult to use, it may be hard for a customer to locate the waste toner unit. If you find you’re having trouble locating it, you can watch a video on YouTube for more detailed instructions. 

Moreover, as you go about cleaning the waste toner for your product, make sure you take precautions concerning toner powder. Toner dust is hazardous to the lungs, so wear a mask when you service the waste toner container on your printer. 

However, if you have an inkjet printer, you may be curious about where to refill your cartridges to save some money.

Key Takeaways_

  • A laser printer’s waste toner cartridge, otherwise known as a waste toner bottle, is a container that collects toner waste that has accumulated during use.
  • These waste bottles can be attached to the toner cartridges themselves or affixed somewhere inside the printer.
  • Advise caution when emptying a toner waste bottle, as toner particles can be damaging to a person’s health.

What is a Waste Toner Cartridge?

The waste toner cartridge, otherwise known as a waste toner bottle, is a repository that catches any excess toner dust as you complete print jobs.

This helps keep the laser printer’s interior components functioning properly, even as you complete numerous printing tasks in a highly trafficked office environment.

Finding the Waste Toner Cartridge

The process of finding the waste toner cartridge or waste toner bottle will differ depending on the actual design of your printer.

We have assembled some useful tips to help you locate the waste toner bottle as quickly as possible.

Below is a short video on replacing a Fujifilm waste toner cartridge, but do remember your specific brand and model may have a different method.

Cartridge-based Waste Toner Bottles

Unlike ink cartridges, most modern toner cartridges have the waste toner bottle included inside the cartridge itself. The good news is that every time you replace a toner cartridge, you also throw out any waste accumulated during use.

The disadvantage to this design choice is that these cartridges are extremely difficult to crack open to remove the toner waste without destroying the cartridge itself.

This could be an issue if you want to remove any excess toner waste before the toner cartridge has been fully depleted.

Printer-based Waste Toner Bottles

Some modern laser printers feature an actual waste toner bottle that remains unaffiliated with the toner cartridge. This means you can find this waste bottle using the printer’s instruction manual, remove it, empty it, and easily replace it.

This process will differ depending on your printer model, but it should only take a few moments to complete.

We do advise extreme caution, however, as toner dust can be dangerous when breathed in. We recommend wearing safety gear, such as gloves and a mask that will resist toner dust.

Tips to Find the Waste Toner Bottle

If you are struggling to find the waste toner bottle, you can always hit up the instruction manual or the manufacturer’s website. There are also numerous YouTube tutorials for nearly every laser printer out there.

There are also numerous how-to guides throughout the Internet that have been purposefully written for a variety of laser printer models. With a little time and effort, you will be able to locate the waste bottle.

Keep in mind that if you’re trying to find cheaper toner from a third-party seller, if there is no chip on the toner cartridge, there’s a good chance it won’t work with your printer, especially if your printer brand requires the chip.

F.A.Q.

How do I replace the waste toner container?

The process will depend on the design of your printer and where the waste toner container is located. We recommend that you read your printer’s instruction manual for more details.


What does a laser printer use to print?

Laser printers do not use ink, separating them from inkjet printers. Laser printers do use toner dust, which is contained inside a toner cartridge.


What about waste toner bottles that are inside toner cartridges?

If your toner waste bottle is inside the toner cartridge itself, you will automatically dispose of the contents when you replace the toner cartridge.


Lawrence Bonk Avatar

Learn More About Printers