MORE WAYS TO REUSE & RECYCLE
Below are Recycling Resources by Category;
or click here for General Recycling Websites
BATTERIES
Rechargeable batteries can be recycled at any Best Buy store nationwide, Whole Foods or Radio Shack.
Rechargeable Apple product batteries can be recycled at any Apple retail location
CELL PHONES
Verizon Wireless retail stores accept phones in any condition from any service provider. These phones are either refurbished or recycled. Verizon donates wireless phones and air time to victims of domestic violence with the funds raised from the sale of the refurbished phones. Learn more here.
Cell Phone for Soldiers also accepts cell phones for recycling. They buy prepaid calling cards for soldiers.
CFL and OTHER FLUORESCENT BULBS
Home Depot, Lowe’s and Richmond’s Hardware accept your old CFL bulbs for free. These bulbs contain small amounts of mercury and should not be thrown away or recycled with glass bottles.
CRAYONS
Recycle your broken crayons with the paper still on them or boxes of crayons you get at restaurants to be recycled into new “crazy crayons.” Crayons are a petroleum product and it takes a year for them to biodegrade.
DIGITAL CAMERAS
Donate your older model digital cameras to Operation Home Front which distributes cameras to military family support groups so that families can trade images and stay in contact.
ELECTRONICS
GreenDisk accepts the following in either the Technotrash Can or the Pack-IT Service:
- All forms of electronic media and their cases: diskettes, zip disks. DCs, CD-Rs,
CD-RWs, DVDs, VHS (video tape), audio tape, game cartridges and virtually all
other types of computer tapes.
- Hard drives, Zip and Jazz drives, jump drives, etc.
- All forms of printer cartridges including ink-jet and toner.
- All types of cell phones, PDAs and their chargers, cables and headset
accessories.
- All types of rechargeable batteries (not regular alkaline ones) and their
chargers.
- All small computer accessories such as MP3 players, iPods, digital cameras,
hand-held scanners, hand-held games, and other connected devices
(Technotrash Can only)
EYEGLASSES
Donate old prescription eyeglasses or non-prescription sunglasses at a Lens Crafters near you. They provide free sight care and eyewear to under-privileged individuals in North America and developing countries.
~ or~
Give them to the Lions Club “Lions in Sight” Program which brings basic eye care and glasses to the needy.
FITNESS VIDEOS
Swap old fitness videos for something else.
UNWANTED MAIL
The key is to get your name off the mailing lists. Go to www.directmail.com and read the Frequently Asked Questions first.
Remember to put all junk mail into your Single Stream bin.
PACKING PEANUTS / BUBBLE WRAP
Take foam packing peanuts and bubble wrap to your nearest UPS Store or Mail Boxes Etc. They will be glad to have it.
PRINTER CARTRIDGES
Empty cartridges are accepted at Staples or Office Max. They can be refilled or exchanged for cash or copy paper. Also check your local paper for a school near you that may collect them as a fundraiser.
SHOES
Recycle used sneakers at the Nike recycling center. They will be recycled into material for playgrounds.
Used shoes go to those in need including victims of Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami.
Old Crocs will be given to those in need here..
SPORTS EQUIPMENT
Sell your used sports equipment at Play It Again Sports stores in Dedham, Hyannis, Leominster, North Reading, or Stoneham. Visit their website for more information.
STYROFOAM (LARGE CHUNKS)
Large pieces of Styrofoam (eps) used to package TVs, electronics etc, for shipment can be recycled at any of the businesses below. Learn more here.
- FP International, Auburn 508-832-5369
- Insulation Technology, Bridgewater 503-697-6926
- EOMS Recycling, Brockton 508-587-9686
- ALA Recycling Industries, Canton 781-828-1335
- Conigliaro Industries, Framingham 508-872-9668
- Polyfoam Corporation, Northbridge 508-234-6323
TOOLS
Donate tools to your local Habitat For Humanity. They will use them to building affordable housing.
TOOTHBRUSHES
ReUse your old toothbrushes for cleaning the tiles in the bathroom, car parts, the mud off your shoes; or for making a spatter painting with your children.
Recycle the brand Preserve products including recyclable toothbrushes and razors. Get them at Target, Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. When they are no longer useful, they will recycle them into plastic lumber. Click here for more information.
WINE CORKS
Send your wine corks (not the plastic ones) to Yemm & Hart, who will recycle them into cork tiles. Whole Foods also accepts natural corks.
GENERAL RECYCLE / DONATION WEB SITES
Here are resources for selling, donating or trading items.
