Can they be recycled?
No, recycling centres will not normally accept them for recycling. There are other options and organisations that specialise in recycling your printer cartridge. This may be dependant on the type and model. Many manufacturers are also now running their own recycling program such as Brother & HP so it may be best to check with your manufacturer.
Re-use?
Get your cartridge refilled. There are 280 Cartridge World stores in the U.K. Just take your empty cartridge and they will refill it for you.
Alternatively, refill it yourself. You can buy ink from companies like ‘JR inkjet’ cartridges by post.
Donate
You can also donate your empty printer cartridgesto certain charities. They will re-fill them, then re-sell them to raise money.