RecycleBank Presents Recycling Tips

America Recycles Day is Nov. 15. In your office or home, or home office what comes to mind for hauling into the suitably marked bins are paper, bottles, and plastic containers such as for premixed salads, and cans. Yet what about for the rest of used-up, broken, and/or unwanted items that you typically toss into the trash?

 

RecycleBank, a rewards program in 24 states plus the U.K., has come out with tips on how to safely recycle five items that you should never throw away but you are never quite sure what to do with when you’re done, like electronics and plastic bags. Items that contain materials, many of which are toxic and which can contaminate the environment if they wind up in landfills or that can easily be reclaimed for use in new products and/or be of value to others.

 

Here is RecycleBank’s list:

 

All Office Depot, Staples, and Best Buy stores accept larger electronics like desktop computers for recycling for a small fee (usually $10) and smaller ones like cell phones and PDAs for free. Goodwill stores accept used computer equipment (some locations also accept televisions) for free. And you can earn RecycleBank Points by recycling MP3 players/iPods, laptops, and cell phones through our partners at Collective Good, FlipSwap, and Gazelle.

 

Why? You will keep toxic materials like lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and brominated flame retardants out of landfills. And useful materials will be recovered, saving energy and resources.

 

From cordless phones and power tools, digital cameras, and other gizmos these can be recycled for free at 30,000 drop-off points nationwide, including retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, RadioShack, Sears and Target. Enter your zip code at Call2Recycle to find one near you.

 

Unfortunately, it’s more difficult to find places to recycle alkaline or single-use batteries. Try Earth911 to find drop off locations or order a box for $34.50, including prepaid shipping from Battery Solutions and send them up to 12 pounds of alkaline and/or rechargeable batteries for recycling.

 

Why? Like many electronics, batteries contain heavy metals and other chemicals best kept out of the waste stream. Plus, recyclers reclaim metals from them that are used to make, for example, new batteries and steel.

 

CFLs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, but they contain a small amount of mercury and shouldn’t be thrown in the trash. Take them to any Ikea or Home Depot store for recycling or go to Lamp Recycle to find other drop off locations near you.

Why? CFLs in landfills can break and release mercury, a neurotoxin, into the environment.

Even if you have switched to reusable bags for your shopping, you probably have a bunch of these stored in your home. Luckily, many retailers such as Albertsons, Giant, Kroger, Safeway, Wal-Mart and Wegmans now have bins where you can recycle plastic grocery bags along with and newspaper, drycleaning, bread, and sealable food storage bags. To find a drop off location near you, go to Plastic Bag Recycling or Earth911.

Why? Plastic bags are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource, and when thrown away they take a very long time to decompose. Recyclers will turn them into new products like plastic lumber.

 

For instance, you can donate your used prescription glasses to the nonprofit OneSight at any LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sunglass Hut, Target Optical, or Sears Optical location – or go to One Sight for more locations near you. You can also donate unused, unexpired medications including antibiotics, pain relievers, and others by mailing them to the Health Equity Project. The glasses and medications will be distributed to people in need in developing countries.

 

Keep in mind that you should always recycle hazardous substances like paint, pesticides, propane gas tanks, and motor oil at your community’s household hazardous waste collection events or permanent collection center. Go to Earth911or call 1-800-CLEANUP to find collection sites and events.