21 Things You Didn't Know You Can Recycle

Mogie

21 Things You Didn't Know You Can Recycle

CAQ73 Garbage. Americans produce more and more of it every year, when we need to be producing less.

Even the most waste-conscious among us can feel overwhelmed by the amount of household waste that goes beyond what municipal recyclers and compost bins can handle.

That’s why our editors have spent the summer investigating the state of waste management in our country, and putting together information for you, our Co-op America members, explaining how we can get serious about the three R’s – reducing, reusing, and recycling. Supporting members of Co-op America can expect to receive this issue of the Co-op America Quarterly this fall. If you’re not already a supporting member, join us now to get this special issue mailed to you.


1. Appliances: Goodwill accepts working appliances, www.goodwill.org, or you can contact the Steel Recycling Institute to recycle them. 800/YES-1-CAN, Steel Recycling Institute.

2. Batteries: Rechargeables and single-use: Battery Solutions, 734/467-9110, Battery Recycling - Cost-Effective and Safe Disposal.

3. Cardboard boxes: Contact local nonprofits and women’s shelters to see if they Boxcan use them. Or, offer up used cardboard boxes at your local Freecycle.org listserv or on Craigslist.org for others who may need them for moving or storage. If your workplace collects at least 100 boxes or more each month, UsedCardboardBoxes.com accepts them for resale.

4. CDs/DVDs/Game Disks: Send scratched music or computer CDs, DVDs, and PlayStation or Nintendo video game disks to AuralTech for refinishing, and they’ll work like new: 888/454-3223, AuralTech CD repair, CD Roms, DVD, Compact Discs refinished.

5. Clothes: Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or shelter. ShirtsDonate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs, 212/532-1922, Home - Dress for Success. Offer unwearable clothes and towels to local animal boarding and shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding. Consider holding a clothes swap at your office, school, faith congregation or community center. Swap clothes with friends and colleagues, and save money on a new fall wardrobe and back-to-school clothes.

6. Compact fluorescent bulbs: Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling: Welcome to IKEA.com.

7. Compostable bio-plastics: You probably won’t be able to compost these in your home compost bin or pile. Find a municipal composter to take them to at findacomposter.com - Home.

8. Computers and electronics: Find the most responsible recyclers, local and national, at Basel Action Network (BAN) - e-Stewards - Responsible e-Cyclers.

9. Exercise videos: Swap them with others at Video Fitness: consumer guide to exercise videos.

10. Eyeglasses: Your local Lion’s Club or eye care chain may collect these. Lenses Glassesare reground and given to people in need.

11. Foam packing: Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept foam peanuts for reuse. Or, call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a drop-off site: 800/828-2214. For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers, 410/451-8340, Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers - EPS Meets the Challenge

12. Ink/toner cartridges: Recycleplace.com pays $1/each.

13. Miscellaneous: Get your unwanted items into the hands of people who can use them. Offer them up on your local Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org listserv, or try giving them away at Throwplace.com or giving or selling them at iReuse.com. iReuse.com will also help you find a recycler, if possible, when your items have reached the end of their useful lifecycle.

14. Oil: Find Used Motor Oil Hotlines for each state: 202/682-8000, Used Motor Oil Collection and Recycling - American Petroleum Institute.

15. Phones: Donate cell phones: Collective Good will refurbish your phone and sell Cellphoneit to someone in a developing country: 770/856-9021, Home CollectiveGood, cell mobile phone recycling. Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 and gives them to domestic violence victims: The Wireless Foundation. Recycle single-line phones: Reclamere, 814/386-2927, Certified Digital Data Destruction Services.

16. Sports equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet, 800/476-9249, Play It Again Sports Home | Play It Again Sports Buys and Sells Used Sporting Goods and Fitness Equipment.

17. “Technotrash”: Project KOPEG offers an e-waste recycling program that can help you raise funds for your organization. Use Project KOPEG to recycle iPods, MP3 players, cell phones and chargers, digital cameras, PDAs, palm pilots, and more. Also, easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio and video tapes, pagers, rechargeable and single-use batteries, PDAs, and ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash program. For $30, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box in which you can ship them up to 70 pounds of any of the above. Your fee covers the box as well as shipping and recycling fees. 800/305-GREENDISK, Electronics Recycling Services CD Recycling Services Computer Electronics Recycling Services.

18. Tennis shoes: Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring. Let Me Play Reuse-A-Shoe: Worn out. Play on.. One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America, and Haiti. One World Running.

19. Toothbrushes and razors: Buy a recycled plastic toothbrush or razor from ToothbrushRecycline, and the company will take it back to be recycled again into plastic lumber. Recycline products are made from used Stonyfield Farms’ yogurt cups. 888/354-7296, Recycline | Preserve Environment Friendly Toothbrush | Preserve Razor | Made from Recycled Plastic including Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups.

20. Tyvek envelopes: Quantities less than 25: Send to Shirley Cimburke, Tyvek Recycling Specialist, 5401 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Spot 197, Room 231, Richmond, VA 23234. Quantities larger than 25, call 866/33-TYVEK.

21. Stuff you just can’t recycle: When practical, send such items back to the manufacturer and tell them they need to manufacture products that close the waste loop responsibly.

jendoe

i'm so happy that you posted this, thanks!!

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I do not now, nor ever will grow or smoke illegal substances. All posts are fictional for entertainment only.

Mogie

I learned a lot from this article and just wanted to pass the info along. Hope it helps!