PURPOSE: To save labor for discarding waste ink of a user and to finish said operation at the same time when an ink container is exchanged.

CONSTITUTION: In an ink cartridge 2 to which a recording head is integrally provided, an ink container part 2a and a waste ink reservoir 2c are provided. A suction opening 11b of a suction tube 11a to which an ink absorbing material 12 is fixed and which is connected to a suction means 11 is open to an ink receiving chamber 10b of a cap part 10. An exhaust opening 11d of an exhaustion tube 11c connected to the suction means 11 is fixed to a projection part e. When the cartridge 2 exists at a position as given in the figure, a portion of waste ink discharged from the head 1 by recovery operation is absorbed in the absorbing material 12, and is absorbed in a waste ink absorbing material 2d from a contact absorbing surface 2e along an inside. The other waste ink is sucked from the suction opening 11b by the suction means 11, is exhausted from the exhaust opening 11d, and is absorbed in the waste ink absorbing material 2d from a contact absorbing part 2g.