A developer recovering mechanism used in a developing apparatus having a developer cartridge which houses developer, a developing unit in which the developer cartridge is installed and which can make a latent image of an image carrier visible by the developer, and a rotor at which the developing unit is loaded and which rotates and moves the developing unit successively to a developing region, the developer recovering mechanism having: a housing chamber provided at the developer cartridge, for housing recovered developer; a recovery opening for recovering developer, which is in the developing unit, into the housing chamber; and a shutter which is plate-shaped, one end side of the shutter being rotatably shaft-supported within the housing chamber, the shutter opening and closing the recovery opening in accordance with changes in gravity due to rotation of the rotor.