Compact Discs (CD's)

Damaged CD's can be repaired, and repair or reuse is definitely a better environmental option than recycling. You have some chance of repairing small numbers of obvious scratches with a mild abrasive such as toothpaste. Work only on the non-label side, with strokes radially out from the center. Professional refinishers such as AuralTech CD Refinishing will repair disks for about $3 each and guarantee the results.

If you just don't like the CD's, trade them in at a music store or donate them to charity. Obsolete or unrepairable CD's can be recycled. Music, CD-ROM and even write-once disks are all ok. Booklets and paper backings are ok, but are better recycled as mixed paper. Do not include any material other than CD's, jewel boxes and incidental paper.

If you are worried about proprietary data on the discs, you can cut them with a pair of heavy duty tin shears, or place them in a microwave oven with a small glass of water (for one disc, 5 seconds on high does a fantastic job, and creates a spectacular light show). Cases and CD's are pelletized: cases end up as (generally non-recyclable) egg cartons, CD's end up as automotive parts.

Send pre-paid by UPS Ground, third-class mail, freight or other surface transportation to Plastic Recycling Incorporated, 2015 South Pennsylvania, Indianapolis, IN 46225. 317-780-6100.

Smoke Detectors

The most common type of smoke detector contains a small amount of Americium 241, a radioactive material. On your wall this presents little threat. When broken open in an incinerator or landfill, the material can pose a health hazard. For this reason all detectors must, by law, be labeled as to radioactive content. Detector companies accept returned radioactive detectors for disposal as hazardous waste. Unfortunately the companies seem to assume you'll keep the instruction booklet on hand for the entire life of the product, and don't always put good contact information on the case.

Detectors have a limited life span, usually specified at ten years. Testing your detector with actual smoke is the only way to be sure it will work when needed. The vast majority of smoke detectors are made by First Alert Corporation. Send old detectors to First Alert, Radioactive Waste Disposal, 780 McClure Rd, Aurora, IL 60504-2495, 1-800-323-9005. Others are made by a Canadian firm called American Sensors, dial 1-800-387-4219 for information. The companies sell detectors under many different brand names, and can dispose of any of them. Send detectors by surface mail or UPS Ground so they don't end up in an airplane.

Disposable single-use cameras

Recent studies have show that, despite the recycling claims on the boxes, less than half of disposable cameras are ever actually recycled. Enough cameras have been tossed to circle the planet, stacked end-to-end. Local film developers often have little or no incentive to return the camera bodies to the manufacturers, and not all parts of the cameras are recyclable. Kodak has started to minimally reimburse developers for the costs of sorting, storing and shipping, but processors are still faced with a bewildering variety of types, brands, and procedures for dealing with them.

Inexpensive fully-automatic 35mm cameras can be purchased for about $20 if you look carefully. These cameras will give better results and cost less to use than the disposables. If you must use a disposable camera, be sure to take it to a developer that explicitly promises to recycle the remains.

Holiday Cards

For the last 25 years Saint Jude's Ranch, a non-profit youth home, has operated a holiday card reuse program. The ranch provides counseling and opportunities for troubled youth. The kids operate a business taking used greeting cards, neatly cutting off the front covers, gluing on new back covers, and selling the result. The kids earn money, experience and a sense of purpose.

You send either entire cards, or cards with the backs cut off. Send bundles of cards via UPS ground or the "bound printed matter" rate at the post office. St. Jude's Card Recycling, 100 St. Jude Street, Post Office Box 60100, Boulder City, NV 89006.

Eyeglasses

The old lenses that steer you into walls may be the perfect gift for someone in need. Chances are an optician or club in your area collects eyeglasses for reuse. Collected eyeglasses are cleaned, repaired and measured to determine the correction. Available glasses are cataloged in a computer database, and matched to people with need. Many of the glasses are sent to other countries, as laws in the USA make it difficult to re-dispense a prescription product. Another option is to have your old glasses tinted to turn them into into sunglasses.

The Lions Clubs operate the largest program, collecting glasses from thousands of opticians. Of the chain stores, LensCrafters, For-Eyes and Pearle collect glasses chain-wide. Several organizations accept eyewear by mail. Collect glasses from friends and co-workers and use a box to pack the eyewear so it won't be damaged. Send by third class, fourth class or UPS ground.

Medical Ministry International, ATTN: eyeglass recycling, 12281 S.W. 28th, Miami, FL. 33175 accepts reusable eyewear of all types. SightFirst Eyeglass Recycling Center, 34 W. Spain, Sonoma, CA 95476 accepts all types of glasses for the Lion's program. New Eyes for the Needy, 549 Millburn, PO Box 332, Short Hills, NY 07078 accepts scrap metal frames in any condition, unbroken plastic framed glasses, non-prescription sunglasses and any precious metal scrap like broken jewelry. In Canada send glasses to The Low Vision Clinic, 1929 Bayview Ave., Toronto, ON M4G 3E8.

Polystyrene Packing Peanuts

Those pesky packing peanuts don't have much recycling potential, but they can be reused, which is even better. Many packing, shipping and moving stores will take used peanuts. Just pack them up in (recycled) plastic bags, and drop them off next time you are nearby. Suitable businesses can be located under "packaging" in the yellow pages. Typical chain stores include Mail Boxes Etc. and The Postal Annex. For a partial list of local collection sites, try the Plastic Loosefill Council at 1-800-828-2214 (24 Hours).

Some peanuts are not made of plastic. If you find a peanut that looks like a cheese puff, try licking it. One type of peanut is made from vegetable starch, and dissolves almost instantly in water. These taste somewhat like rice cakes, and are just as safe in a compost bin.

Disposal of large expanded polystyrene blocks (such as those protecting new equipment) is problematic. The materials are very lightweight and take little energy to produce: it is easy to end up with a net environmental loss just transporting the stuff. For most individuals recycling this material is not worth it, though future research into local small-scale reprocessing may change this. If you have large quantities of material, a list of collection sites is available from The Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers.

Unwanted Household Goods
(small appliances, tableware, clothing, furniture, toys, sports equipment, children's books, white elephants, etc.)

Your unwanted household items can have a life again if you donate them to charity. Organizations such as Goodwill Industries will take your donations, sort and sometimes repair them, and resell them in thrift shops nationwide. Broken items are fixed, and scrap materials (like worn-out textiles) are sold for recycling. Goodwill provides jobs and job training for tens of thousands of people who would otherwise have trouble finding work. In 1994 alone Goodwill assisted 25,000 people finding placement in the private sector, helping many people get off public assistance. Wash the clothing, and try to include manuals or brochures on appliances (especially if broken). Surf the net, scan the white pages or look in the yellow pages under "Thrift Shops" for a charity and drop-off center near you.

Sneakers & Athletic Shoes

Nike corporation grinds up shoes and reuses some of the components for athletic mats, which are donated to good causes. Call 1-800-352-NIKE and navigate deep into the menu for drop-off locations and a Reuse-A-Shoe program description. Next time you buy shoes, ask the store if they participate in any recycling programs.

Synthetic Carpets

Old synthetic carpets have value as recycled materials. Individual consumers generally can't get rid of a carpet, but you can ask installers and renovation companies if they will do it for you. See the pages of United Recycling Incorporated, The Partnership for Carpet Reclamation (Actually just DuPont) or AlliedSignal's Carpet Recycling Information Page for the details.