Waste toner boxes for laser printers

In a laser printer toner is applied via a roller, first to the drum and then to the paper. The drum however always takes on a little more toner than needed. This excess toner is then collected in the waste toner box.

Waste toner boxes are also referred to as waste toner bottles or waste toner containers.

In general, every laser printer is equipped with a waste toner box. In professional printers, waste toner boxes need to be changed separately. In cheaper printers they can however be found in the so-called “combined toner cartridges” (Combi-toner). Bigger, more professional printers are equipped with separate waste toner containers.

The following printers and printer series have separate waste toner boxes:

Xerox Phaser Series
Xerox CopyCentre Series
Xerox WC Series
Xerox WorkCentre Series
Xerox WorkCentre M Series
Xerox WorkCentre Pro Series
IBM InfoPrint Series
IBM InfoPrint C Series
IBM InfoPrint Color
Lexmark C Series
Lexmark Optra C Series
Lexmark X Series
Riso G 752
Riso M 752
Riso P 752
Primera CX 1200 e
Ricoh Aficio CL 5000
Lanier LP 036 C
Danka IPC 1036
Infotec IPC 1036
Konica Minolta Magicolor Series
Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Bizhub C Series
DevelopIneo Series
Brother HL Series
Compaq LNC 02
CompuPrint Pagemaster 400 C
Digital Equipment Corp LNC 02
Tally Genicom Microlaser C 4
Tally Genicom T Series
Kyocera Pointsource CI Series
Kyocera FS Series
Kyocera FS-C Series
Kyocera KM Series
NEC Superscript Series
OCÈ 6485 EX
Ricoh Aficio AP Series
Ricoh Aficio CL
Gestetner DSC
Rex Rotary DSC
Sagen MF Series
Sagem Quadrige Series
Toshiba BD Series
Toshiba DP Series
Toshiba E Studio
Triumph Adler LP Series
Konica Minolta
Lanier
Lanier LP Series
Danka IPC Series
NRG C Series
Epson Colorpage 8000
Epson EPL-C Series
Xerox Phaser Series
Utax DCP Series
Utax LP Series
NRG DSC Series
NRG C Series
Epson Aculaser Series
Epson LP Series
Konica Minolta Scancopy
Infotec Aficio Series

Is it necessary to exchange the waste toner box or can it be emptied?

A waste toner box is not a complicated component. It does not have any complex mechanics and usually there is no chip either. Separate waste toner boxes which are built into the printer can be emptied. That is however not to be recommended.

Toner dust is extremely fine! You would need a protective mask and rubber gloves in order to empty a waste toner box safely. Waste toner boxes are however very cheap. It would therefore be advisable to exchange them rather than empty them.