Ultimate recycling guide: over 25 ways you can recycle

Some things just don’t belong in a landfill. With that in mind, Tainted Green has created this guide, which provides tips on recycling everyday items to reduce our impact on the environment.

You’ll finally have a way to handle the old pair of shoes in the back of your closet, the overflowing bag of used batteries, and that container of used oil gathering dust in the garage.

Before using the options below, you should check to see what your home recycling program accepts. Many programs now accept materials such as Styrofoam and plastic grocery bags. Also, check to see if your city or county has a hazardous waste program. In Michigan, some programs take everything from motor oil to cell phones to lawn fertilizer. Here’s a link to one list.

This guide will be updated regularly as we think of new things to recycle. If you have suggestions, please leave us a note!

Batteries: One way to recycle batteries in bulk is through http://batteryrecycling.com, which offers a mail-in service where you can recycle 12 pounds of batteries and small electronics for $35. That should last the average family about a year, the company says. Here’s their pricing page and a list of accepted materials. Rechargeable batteries from electronics like phones, laptop computers and remote control toys can be recycled at many retailers through the Call2Recycle program, including familiar names like Home Depot, Staples and Target. Here’s their FAQ page of http://call2recycle.org.

Books: The two best ways to recycle books are to either sell or donate them. Sell them on eBay, Craigslist or to a second-hand bookstore in your area. Otherwise, donate them to a local library, hospital or one of the many charitable organizations that hosts an annual book sale. Another option to consider is book trading Web sites such as http://paperbackswap.com, http://bookmooch.com, or http://freecycle.com.

Cardboard: Cardboard is a staple of nearly every curbside recycling program. But there’s a few things you should know about the best ways to handle this abundant material. Boxes should always be flattened, and cardboard should be free of wetness or grease, like from pizza. If you’re unfamiliar with your local recycling program, typing cardboard into the Earth911 search system is a good way to find out.

Clothes: The most obvious option for clothes is donation. Goodwill and many other thrift shops accept clothes. Even if you don’t think anyone will want your 20-year-old pants, chances are someone will. Often times, thrift shops donate items they can’t sell to impoverished nations overseas. If you want to donate clothes without leaving the house, the Vietnam Veterans of America will pick up a variety of household items many parts of the country. Check here to see if they’ll come to you. For nicer clothes, try a consignment shop. Try http://consignmentshops.com to help you find one.

Electronics: Best Buy has a fairly comprehensive trade-in and recycling program. They accept computers, laptops, video games, etc. Here’s the program page, which can even estimate how much you can get for a particular item. Dell, Intel and Hewlett-Packard – along with many cell phone companies – have recycling programs as well. Check out this EPA list. Also, don’t forget about eBay’s Rethink Initiative. Obviously, eBay can help you sell items, but they’ve added components to facilitate donating, recycling and organizing.

Eyeglasses: One quarter of the world’s population needs glasses. The Lions Club Lions Recycling for Sight program is a great place to donate a pair. Club volunteers sort them and send them to needy countries. You can drop them off at your local Lions Club, or send them to Lions Clubs International Headquarters, Attention: Receiving Department, 300 W. 22nd Street, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Otherwise, be sure to ask your eye care specialist if they accept trade-ins or collect glasses for recycling.

Glass: Recycled glass containers can be endlessly recycled, but that doesn’t mean they are. The EPA found only 34.5 percent of glass bottles were recycled in 2007. That number was near 80 percent in California. Why the disparity? This is where education, programs and legislation come into play. It’s going to take a combination of all three to help the U.S. catch up with the West Coast.

Ink cartridges: Ink cartridges are another possible way to raise money while recycling. The site http://freerecycling.com offers a fundraising program where you can make as much as $3.60 per cartridge. And with 2 billion cartridges used by the end of 2009, there should be quite a few people with a draw full, ready to donate. Companies like Staples and OfficeMax have rewards programs for recycling. Take a peek at Earth911 for more stores that accept used cartridges.

Lights: Compact Fluorescent Lamps/Bulbs (CFLs) are a great energy-saver, but the mercury in them is hard to recycle. Home Depot is making it easier by offering in-store collections at all their locations. For other mercury bulb collection sites in your area, visit the EPA’s “Where You Live” program page. Other collection location sites are sometimes found at IKEA, Ace Hardware, TrueValue and Menards. Here’s a list of recyclers for commercial-grade lights. Incandescent bulbs don’t have mercury and so are safe to throw away, but why would you want to? Unfortunately, most recycling programs don’t collect these. Please let us know if you find a constructive way to recycle them!

Magazines: Although most recycling services collect magazines, only about 20 percent are recycled, according to the Magazine Publishers of America. Every magazine should be recycled, but this goes double for Recycling Today.

Mattresses: Recycling is always easier if it’s preplanned. That’s very true of mattresses, which are just too big for most recycling centers to handle. Before you buy a mattress, check to see if the company or store has its own recycling program. One example is http://emattress.com. If you’re stuck with an old mattress, see if your local Salvation Army will take it.

Packing foam/peanuts: The best answer for this stuff is to reuse it. Chances are you’ll need to package something fragile yourself, and it’s always better to avoid adding more Styrofoam to the world. The Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers has a long list of drop-off sites for Styrofoam. You can also pay the shipping costs to mail it to a large number of Styrofoam companies. This page has some tips for maximizing the effectiveness of shipping. And Earth911 also has a list of local options for recycling Styrofoam. The UPS Store sometimes also accepts packing peanuts.

Paint: Hazardous waste collectors almost always take paint, but there may be some other options. Many charities accept paint donations for their own use, and some paint shops will take paint and mix it to create new colors.

Phone books: Some recycling programs accept phone books. If yours doesn’t, Yellow Pages may be able to help. Go to http://www.yellowpages.com/recycle to search for drop-off sites near you or call (877) 887-3292.

Plastics: Recycling plastic depends a lot on what a particular recycling program accepts. Some take all types, while others may only collect one or two. This is where a little lobbying may go a long way. If you’re having trouble recycling any of these plastics, attempt to either call your recycler or the producer. Some producers do have alternative programs to keep their containers out of a landfill, so it’s definitely worth a shot.

Plastic No. 1: Includes most soft drink and water bottles, peanut butter containers, salad dressing containers and food trays that can go in the oven. Most recycling programs accept these, although only 20 percent end up getting recycled.

Plastic No. 2: Milk jugs, juice bottles, bleach, cereal box liners, shampoo bottles and many household cleaners fit in this group. Most curbside recyclers take these items, but not other things in this category such as shopping and trash bags.

Plastic No. 3: This is PVC, used most prominently for house siding. It’s also in many bottles, wire jacketing, medical equipment, windows and piping. It’s not commonly recycled.

Plastic No. 4: This flexible plastic is used in squeezable bottles, bread bags, dry cleaning and shopping bags, clothing, furniture and carpet. Some recycling programs accept this type of plastic, and some bags can be returned to the original store.

Plastic No. 5: Straws are one of the main shapes plastic No. 5 takes. Others include syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, and some yogurt containers. Again, some recycling programs collect this and others don’t.

Plastic No. 6: Foam and rigid plastic products can be made from this plastic. Examples are disposable plates and cubs, meat trays, egg cartons and CD trays. Recycling is sporadic.

Plastic No. 7: Heavy duty items like water cooler containers, computer cases, DVD cases, and nylon come are made from plastic No. 7. Only a handful of recycling programs accept it.

Refrigerators: This is one of the few areas where recycling can actually pay off – literally. This refrigerator recycling program pays you $35 for responsibly disposing of your old fridge, and an extra $25 if you toss an old working room air conditioner with it. Also, households below a certain income level could qualify for a free refrigerator replacement as part of the 2009 Recovery Act’s home weatherization program.

Shoes: Nike has a program to turn old athletic shoes into playground surfaces and athletic venues. You can mail your shoes to Nike Recycling Center, c/o Reuse-A-Shoe, 26755 SW 95^th Ave., Wilsonville, OR 97070. You may be thinking, who is really going to pay to ship their shoes across the country when you could throw them away for free? So far, Nike has recycled more than 24 million pairs of shoes. Find out more at http://nikereuseashoe.com. You can also always donate your shoes. Either find a local charitable thrift shop or shelter, or mail them to Soles4Souls, which brings shoes to international relief efforts. Find their mailing address here.

Tires: Before you recycle tires, lengthen their life by driving defensively, maintaining tire pressure, and rotating them. Old tires have a growing number of uses: from rubber mulch to sidewalks to artificial reef systems to even buildings. First, check with the business where you purchased the tires to see if they can recycle them. Otherwise, see if your waste management program collects tires, or knows of a local way dispose of them. Communities could also try to connect with a company that turns tires into other products. In New England, F and B Rubberized will pick up tires for free after you pay for them to drop off a container.

Toothbrushes: There are options for toothbrushes besides turning them into toilet scrubs. The site http://greenfeet.com has brushes made from recycled yogurt cups. You can send it back to the company when it wears out, at which time it’s reprocessed into plastic lumber. http://toothbrushexpress.com has a similar program.

Toothpaste tubes: Tom’s of Maine, a company that makes toothpaste tubes and assorted other products, which are manufactured into a new set of health care products. Save up a bunch or collect them as a group before sending them to Tom’s of Maine, Consumer Dialogue Team, 302 Lafayette Center, Kennebunk, ME 04043.

TVs: Technology seems to be knocking out new and improved televisions faster than consumers can keep up. This cycle leaves a lot of old TVs in its wake. If you can’t find a way to sell your set, try giving it to GoodWill or another thrift shop. Otherwise, look find a television recycler near you at Earth911.com.

Video Games, CDs, DVDs: Not every product has its own recycling center, but these do. Pack up your cases, trays, inserts and discs separately and send them to CD Recycling Center, 68H Stiles Rd., Salem, NH 03079. They ask you to sign up at http://cdrecyclingcenter.com, but it’s not a necessity. Here’s another CD recycling program: http://cdrecyclingforfree.com. http://greendisk.com takes CDs, but also hard drives, printer cartridges, cell phones, rechargeable batteries, and much more.

Wax-coated cardboard: In order to house liquids such as milk and orange juice in cardboard, manufacturers coat it with wax. This makes the packaging useful, but very tough to recycle. Some curbside services do accept it, but it’s not common practice as of yet. It is possible to compost or burn the logs. Some companies are turning wax-coated cardboard into products such as fire-starter logs. They likely get materials from stores, but there may be opportunity to recycle through these businesses as they grow.

Wrappers: Unfortunately, there just isn’t a market for recycling chip and candy wrappers. The best we can hope to do is reuse or repackage them. At the forefront of this market is Terracycle, which turns wrappers into backpacks, bags and pencil cases. They recycled products made by ClifBar, Frito-Lay, Mars, and Stoneyfield Farm.