Other Things That Can Be Recycled, Beyond Paper and Plastic
You probably already recycle common recyclables like paper, plastic, aluminum cans, and glass bottles, which is a great thing! Recycling these materials helps to conserve resources, save energy, protects the environment, and reduce the amount of trash in our landfills.
Related: Do You Know What You Should And Shouldn’t Recycle?
But there are likely other things that can be recycled lying around your home that you may not know about. Find out about 19 things you can recycle below, and get rid of thing you don’t need and keep waste out of landfills at the same time!
18 Surprising Things You Can Recycle
1. Cell Phones
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, fewer than 20 percent of cell phones are recycled each year. Most cell carriers have programs for recycling old phones — check your carrier’s website for details.
Another option is Cell Phones for Soldiers, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing cost-free communication services and emergency funding to active-duty military members and veterans around the world.
2. Crayons
Crayons aren’t as fun to use once they’re small or broken, and most of those pieces end up going right into the trash. But if you save all those unused pieces of crayons, you can donate them to the National Crayon Recycle Program, which collects the materials for Crazy Crayons. Alternatively, you could mail them to The Crayon Initiative in California, which turns old crayons into new ones and donates them to children’s hospitals across the country. Or use your crockpot to make fun swirly crayons!
3. Batteries
There was a time when nobody really recycled batteries, but now it’s much easier to recycle your used batteries. Many national retailers such as Best Buy, The Home Depot, Staples and Lowe’s accept reusable ones, as does Call2Recycle.
4. VHS Tapes
If you have VHS tapes that you don’t use anymore (I know I do!) and they aren’t fit to donate, recycle them! There’s a company called Green Disk, who will recycle your “technotrash” for you. The tapes are taken apart and shredded and then turned into all kinds of useful things, like product packaging.
5. Running Shoes
Don’t know what to do with your old running shoes? Instead of throwing them out, send them to a recycling program. Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program accepts old sneakers (any brand) and recycles them into courts for various sports so kids around the world have a place to play.
Related: These 10 Brands Make the Most Comfortable Shoes Ever
6. Inhalers
More than 46 million people throw away their inhalers every year. This is a huge amount of waste that can be recycled. If you bring your used inhalers to participating pharmacies, they will be broken down into plastics and aluminum.
7. Cosmetics
Cosmetic packaging probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when considering recycling, but compacts, tubs, tubes, and other containers can be easily recycled. Various companies have their own programs, including: Lush, MAC Cosmetics, and Kiehl’s, to name a few.
8. Corks
Wine corks can be recycled and used in a variety of materials including flooring tiles, insulation, automotive parts, and sports equipment. Some Whole Foods locations, wineries, and breweries have drop boxes where you can recycle corks, so look for one the next time you’re grocery shopping. The organization ReCORK also has drop boxes in various locations.
9. Prescription Drugs
Most people simply throw away or flush old prescriptions. This can cause a number of environmental issues because drugs get into streams and leak into landfills. Take advantage of community drug take-back programs that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal.
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10. Mattresses
More than 50,000 mattresses end up in U.S. landfills each day. Fortunately, you can change that. Bye Bye Mattress will help you find your closest recycling facility. Recycled mattresses are used to make fiber for scrap metal, wood chips, clothing, and foam products.
11. Bras
Check out the Bra Recyclers website to learn more about the Bosom Buddies Program in which donated bras of all shapes and sizes are given to local shelters or redistributed to women in developing nations.
Related: This Brand Makes The Most Comfortable Bras Ever
12. Apple Products
Apple Trade In is a trade-in and recycling program that’s good for you and the planet. If your trade-in device is eligible for credit, you can use it to offset the cost of a new Apple device. If your device isn’t eligible for credit, they’ll recycle it for you for free, so it’s a win either way!
13. Eyeglasses
Donate your old eyeglasses and sunglasses to help people with eyesight difficulties worldwide. (Sunglasses can be non-prescription. They are needed in countries near the equator to help protect people’s eyes from sun damage.) Go to Lions Clubs International to find out how to recycle your old glasses. You can take them to a Walmart vision center, a local Lions Club, or mail them in.
14. Hearing Aids
Send your old hearing aids to the Hearing Aid Project to give the gift of hearing to those in need and contribute to a healthy environment. Any make or model, regardless of age, can be donated. All donations are tax deductible and a letter of acknowledgment will be sent to all donors.
15. Holiday Lights
Send those energy-sucking strands of holiday lights off to HolidayLEDs.com to be recycled and you’ll get a discount coupon you can put toward the new, twinkly LED lights of your dreams. The Christmas Light Recycling Program is open year round.
16. Juice Pouches
Because most are a combination of a plastic polymer and aluminum, drink pouches aren’t typically recyclable. However, TerraCycle has a program sponsored by Honest Kids that accepts empty Honest Kids, Capri Sun, and Kool-Aid drink pouches at select drop-off locations.
17. Backpacks
The American Birding Association collects backpacks and other field gear (binoculars, etc) and redistributes it, free of charge, to researchers, conservationists, and educators working to conserve birds and their habitats in the Neotropics.
18. Keys
Learn how to recycle, upcycle, and donate old keys at Eco-savvy.
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Related: These Are the 9 Best Containers to Repurpose
Were you surprised by any of these things you can recycle?
Finally a place where I can recycle all my greeting cards I’ve saved over the years -THANK YOU JILLEE!
I recently learned that Best Buy will take a fair number of electronic items for recycling. Their website lists what they take in detail. I recently recycled my uncorking iPod touch there.
I just want to point out if you are scrapping a vehicle, they should be PAYING you for it, not just picking it up for free. We couldn’t sell our old truck for $300, and ended up scrapping it ourselves. We got over $600 from the scrap yard.
I like the vhs recycling, but it’s pretty expensive at Greendisk if you only have one or two. (Greencitizen charges .25 per tape if you live close to a center in California.) Or you can take them apart, recycle the plastic case, and use the tape for “yarn.” http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2007/06/03/how-to-use-vcr-vhs-tape-as-yarn/
Dear Jillee
Your article is awsome!
It can be an inspiration for all.
Happy Earth Day!
For the people who want to learn more about what happens to a recycled car. http://www.junkcarcashout.com/blog/does-junked-car-get-recycled-when-i-trade-it/
Great Jillee, thank you!! Saving this page…………
Happy Earth Day to you…Thank you for creating this useful compilation of information for us. I had heard of some of these on your list, but not all… and to have all of this info in one place is great! I have just recently found your site and have enjoyed exploring all you have put out for us to read/learn.
Awesome! Thanks for the info. Happy Earth Day!
Thank you so much for this fantastic article. I consider myself a very eco-conscious person and always try and figure out how to recycle items. However, there are always those odd items that you are never really sure what to do with – but now I do! I am thrilled to hear about the program for recycling old running shoes because as a runner I go through a new pair a few times a year. I always feel guilty throwing them away but I am certain from a distance of 6 ft no one else would want them! Thank you so much for providing all the links/contact information for these organisations as it makes it so much easier for everyone to access.
I would like to mention I fledgling program called the SCRAP’s (School Community Reuse Action Project) USA Project. It has 5 locations and its mission is to inspire creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the community.
Thank you again for all the super information! Very inspirational.