In my previous article about the struggles and pleasures of Polaroid instant photography, I only scratched the surface in terms of sharing my experiences. After being busy with the hobby for about 4 years now, I figured I have some more tips to share. This time, it’s all about sustainability and reusability.
Nowadays it’s a more relevant topic and for good reason. Climate change and other environmental issues urge both companies and everyday consumers to think about the longevity of their produced (and used) products. From the rejection of single-use plastics to recycled packaging, there are many ways to reduce the overall carbon footprint left on the planet. And even if it’s debatable whether consumers should worry about their recycling duties when the big companies are the big polluters, there are more motivations for reusability, such as financial savings.
If you’re an avid photographer like me, you’ll inevitably end up with numerous empty Polaroid film cartridges, just laying around in a closet or a drawer. When I was just starting out with my hobby, the only sensible solution, was to recycle them. Simply remove the metal part and the battery from the cartridge, and throw out the metal, plastic parts, and the battery to their respective recycling containers. However, I eventually asked myself: maybe there’s still use for them? Thus, my creativity bloomed and I started to regard them as more than a paperweight.
A quick explanation beforehand — there are three main types of Polaroid instant film nowadays (excluding the 8x10 film format):
- 600 film (suitable for 600 type and newer Polaroid cameras)
- SX-70 film (suitable for vintage SX-70 format and foldable cameras)
- i-Type film (suitable for modern Polaroid cameras)
The 600 and SX-70 format cartridges are identical (with the main difference being the film itself, i.e., the film speed) and have a battery that powers the camera. The i-Type format cartridges, however, do not have a battery, as this format is used for modern cameras that are charged using a USB cable. Thus, it should be noted that 600 and SX-70 cartridges are more reusable than i-Type cartridges due to the batteries. In this article, I’ll provide four ways to take care of your empty Polaroid film cartridges.
Firstly, as mentioned before, the easiest approach would be simply recycling them. This should be done responsibly, however. Do not throw out the entire cartridge! Take it apart, remove the metal spring and the lithium battery, and recycle them by throwing them into respective bins. The environment will thank you!
Secondly, and especially if you’re a camera enthusiast or flea market shopper: save a few cartridges for testing. Even though the cartridges are empty, the battery is still useful for testing vintage cameras, as they are powered by the battery in the cartridge. With an empty cartridge, you may still be able to “shoot” the camera, i.e. checking if the flash is working or if the camera itself is functioning. It’s much better than just purchasing a fresh new pack of film for a simple test.
Thirdly (although this is somewhat advanced), you can reuse your 600 or SX-70 cartridges by inserting i-Type film into them. This is pretty tricky to do, but the result is worth it. Some really sweet limited edition film packs are i-Type, therefore only usable in a modern Polaroid instant camera, and not compatible with a vintage one. Madness, you may think! But there’s a way to make the film compatible with your vintage camera, simply by taking the film out of the original i-Type cartridge and inserting it into the 600/SX-70 film cartridge.
Three things should be noted, however. For one, it’s a process that should be done in the dark, literally — the best place would be a dark room (or a bathroom with the lights out!). As the Polaroid film is sensitive to light, taking it out of the cartridge in the light would ruin it, and the process of replacing the film between cartridges is not easy the first few times. Therefore, I recommend practicing the replacement process with already developed photos. It’s not easy to get them back into the cartridge, but you’ll get the hang of it! Also, if you’re using i-Type film with an SX-70 camera, you’ll need a neutral density filter, otherwise, your taken photos will come out overexposed. Some of the solutions would be to either get a lens kit with a neutral density filter or a flash bar that has a neutral density compensation mode. And thirdly, the most important part — battery voltage.
Once you use up a film cartridge, chances are that the battery still has some juice in it, therefore, throwing it out would be quite a waste! This is the point of the article, after all, utilizing the cartridges with batteries for a second life (in this case, populating it with i-Type film). After you’re done “shooting” the film pack, the battery may still be enough for 8 more replacement photos. In some cases, at least a few. However, you should take note of the voltage of the battery. The optimal voltage is 6V and above. This means that the cartridge can still be used for replacement photos. Alternatively, if the battery’s voltage is lower than 6V, it’s not recommended to use the cartridge for film replacement. Once the voltage is lower than 6 volts, using the cartridge may introduce unexpected performance issues with your vintage camera. For example, the photo may come out very slowly, or not come out at all. In some instances, the camera may not take pictures at all. Therefore, it’s extremely important to check the voltage with a multimeter.
Finally, you can simply use i-Type cartridges as nice photo frames! They fit your photo perfectly (obviously) and look quite decent, although they may cover your limited edition photo borders. Nevertheless, it’s a fine alternative to purchasing photo frames separately.
To sum up, here are just some of the solutions for spare empty cartridges:
- Recycle them safely (plastic, metal, and batteries go to the respective containers!).
- Use them for vintage camera testing.
- Put i-Type film into 600 or SX-70 film format cartridges for usage in vintage cameras. Make sure to do it in the dark, use a neutral density filter with SX-70 cameras and check the film cartridge battery voltages!
- Use i-Type cartridges as photo frames.
Hope this helps, and good luck in your instant photography journey!