21 things you didn’t know you could recycle
Coop America has put out a great article talking about all the “other” stuff that goes into landfills that could be recycled. I have included some other info that pertains to MOM’s, which I will put in bold and italic to separate it from the article..
21 Things You Didn’t
Know You Can Recycle
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, www.recycle-steel.org.
2. Batteries: Rechargeables and single-use: Battery Solutions, 734/467-9110, www.batteryrecycling.com.
This is the company MOM’s uses to recycle the batteries we use and that our customers bring us. We also use them for recycling lightbulbs.
3. Cardboard boxes: Contact local nonprofits and women’s shelters to see if they 
can 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.
You are welcome to bring us (MOM’s) any cardboard as well and put it in our recycling bins, or on the flip side, ask us for boxes.
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, www.auraltech.com.
5. Clothes: Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or shelter. 
Donate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs, 212/532-1922, www.dressforsuccess.org. 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: www.ikea.com.
Bring these to MOM’s as well.
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 www.findacomposter.com.
8. Computers and electronics: Find the most responsible recyclers, local and national, at www.ban.org/pledge/Locations.html.
9. Exercise videos: Swap them with others at www.videofitness.com.
10. Eyeglasses: Your local Lion’s Club or eye care chain may collect these. Lenses 
are 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, www.epspackaging.org/info.html
If you ever need packing peanuts, we (MOM’s) save ours for our customers to pick up. All we ask is that you re-use them when you are done by passing them on.
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, www.recycleoil.org.
15. Phones: Donate cell phones: Collective Good will refurbish your phone and sell 
it to someone in a developing country: 770/856-9021, www.collectivegood.com. Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 and gives them to domestic violence victims: www.donateaphone.com. Recycle single-line phones: Reclamere, 814/386-2927, www.reclamere.com.
You can also bring your cell phones to MOM’s. We work with http://www.securethecall.org which does the same thing as the above groups.
16. Sports equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet, 800/476-9249, www.playitagainsports.com.
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, www.greendisk.com.
18.Tennis shoes: Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring. www.nikereuseashoe.com. One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America, and Haiti. www.oneworldrunning.com.
19. Toothbrushes and razors:Â Buy a recycled plastic toothbrush or razor from 
Recycline, 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, www.recycline.com.
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:Â When practical, send such items back to the manufacturer and tell them they need to manufacture products that close the waste loop responsibly.
Here is a link to the actual COOP America page…
http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/caq/articles/21Things.cfm
December 10th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
In addition to accepting used packing peanuts that are in good condition, your local UPS Store gladly accepts bubble wrap and other packing materials.
December 27th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
What a great list! Thanks for passing the valuable information on to all of your readers.
January 1st, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I thought it was a great list myself, and learned a couple things I did not already know. Glad you found it useful, and I hope you have great New Year.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Great list — thanks for sharing the info. Here’s one that has stumped me — where can we take items that are coded for recycle, but local (as in County) recycling centers won’t take? I even called the County division of solid waste to find out if there was a drop-off location where you could take coded plastics that didn’t have necks, and was told “no.”
So, any ideas? I’m about to drown in yogurt tubs here!!
January 24th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Katherine,
The best site I have found to find that kind of information is http://www.earth911.org
What store do you live closest to?
I know that you can take your #5 plastic (yogurt containers)to the Montgomery County or Carroll County.
If you are in a bind, you can drop them off at a store, and I can pick them up and take them to the center by our Rockville store. I work out of the central office, and would be happy to take them up to the recycling center for you.
try the web site though, as it is pretty helpful.
good luck!
greg
January 24th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Thanks! I actually live in the people’s republic of Montgomery, I mean, Montgomery County — good to know the people answering the phones at the division of solid waste know what they are talking about.
So, do they take them at the big recycling center on 355 across from King Farm? I don’t mind dropping them off, just need to know where to take them!
Thanks again!
February 13th, 2008 at 9:23 am
any idea what I can do with the big plastic playthings? ie toddler cars,backyard houses etc and all those big ugly kids toys. some things I have are too worn out to sell at yardsales or even donate. I hate to trash them. Also, what about carseats…they expire after a certain amount of years.