sterling recycling center
Image by kino-eye
On October 25, 2003 I was visiting a friend, David Hanssen, who lives in Sterling Masachusetts. On the trip back to Boston I stopped by the Sterling Recycling Center. These bottles, glistening in the afternoon sun awaiting recycling, caught my eye.
Shot with Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens @ f/2.8
Recycle Anything…yes Anything!
Crushing down plastic soda bottles, crushing aluminum cans, putting your empty bottles in a can; taking all of this down to the recycle store, this is what people call RECYCLING. But, there’s more to it. Nowadays recycling has become reincarnation for these used products; you can turn medicine bottles into life jackets and old running shoes into new playground surfacing. Discover how and where to recycle everything you never thought you could…
Clothing
Goodwill provides job training to people with special needs, and affordable clothing and other household goods. Pick-up service is typically provided, but you can also drop off clothing at any location. Use the ZIP code locator at www.goodwill.org to find a location near you.
Salvation Army runs many social service programs such as homeless services and disaster-relief efforts. Drop off your items at any of its thrift stores nationwide, or arrange to have them picked up. To find a location near you go to www.salvationarmyusa.org
Fleece
Patagonia’s Common Threads Garment Recycling Program will recycle your used Patagonia fleece, Polartec fleece from other manufacturers and Patagonia organic cotton t-shirts. Please make sure you wash them first before you take them to any Patagonia store.
Did you know? Patagonia will also recycle your Patagonia Capilene underwear, washed of course.
Formal Dresses
The Glass Slipper Project collects new and almost-new formal dresses and accessories and provides them, free of charge, to high school students who are unable to buy their own ensembles for Prom.
Shoes
Turn in your old athletic shoes, any brand, to Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program so they can be ground up into new material and used in a different way to make new sports surfaces and playground surfacing.
Recycle your old Crocs and they will be shredded to make padding for children’s playgrounds. Mail them to: Crocs 1510 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO 80501 and clearly mark the outside of the package with “RECYCLE!”
Gently worn shoes can be donated to Soles4Souls which is a nonprofit organization that will clean them and distribute them worldwide to those in need. Recently more than 900,000 pairs of shoes were collected in a coordinated relief effort for donation to victims of the Asian Tsunami, and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. So round up those shoes that are taking up space in your closet, bind each pair together with a rubber band, and send them to one of Soles4Soul’s two warehouse facilities.
Wedding dresses
By donating your dress to “Brides Against Breast Cancer” you will enable brides-to-be to find one-of-a-kind gowns at discount prices and the proceeds will help grant a wish for a woman with terminal breast cancer.
Nearly New Bridal is an online marketplace where you can buy or sell new or nearly new wedding dresses and accessories
Work Clothes
Dress for Success is a group providing a business suit or other clothing appropriate for the workplace to women needing outfits for job interviews and, after they get the job, a second suit to wear to work. There are 66 chapters in the U.S. and 78 in other countries. Donate business clothing, coats, shoes, handbags, and briefcases that are in excellent condition and no more than five years old. Clothing in size 14 and up is especially welcome.
Electronics
The Electronics Industry Alliance (EIA) maintains a listing of organizations nationwide that accept donations of working electronics products. You can also donate electronics in working condition to Salvation Army or Goodwill or trade them in exchange for a Circuit City gift card.
To recycle non-working electronics search Earth 911’s database for electronics recycling, also known as ecycling, in your area.
ElectronicsRecycling.com is an online marketplace, where you can buy or sell used electronics or pieces of electronics.
Batteries
All single-use (alkaline) or rechargeable batteries can be taken to any Whole Foods Market or Radioshack for recycling. Rechargeable batteries can be recycled at any recycling kiosk within Best Buys nationwide. Rechargeable Apple product batteries can be recycled at any Apple retail location in the U.S.
Cell phones
Verizon Wireless retail stores accept phones in any condition, from any service provider. The phones are either refurbished or recycled. With the funds raised from the sale of refurbished phones, Verizon donates wireless phones and airtime to victims of domestic violence.
Did you know? If you don’t want to leave the house, the number one hassle free way to recycle your phone is through Charitable Recycling. Print out a nifty prepaid mailing label on your home computer, paste it to an envelope and drop your old phone in.
Computer
Some local Goodwills train workers to refurbish and de-manufacture equipment and resell systems and components. Find out what types of electronic equipment may be donated at your local Goodwill.
With Hewlitt Packard’s Trade-In program you can send in used HP products and get cash back when upgrading to new ones. HP does their own in-house recycling. Apple offers free take-back and recycling of your old computer and monitor, regardless of manufacturer, when you purchase a new Mac.
Digital Cameras
Donate older models of digital cameras to a good cause. Operation Home Front distributes cameras to military bases and military family support groups so that families can trade images and stay in contact.
iPods
Recycle it for free at any Apple retail store, where they offer environmentally friendly disposal and a 10% discount on the purchase of a new iPod.
Printer
Hewlitt Packard’s simple and environmentally sound take-back program is your best bet. Return any piece of computing hardware from any manufacturer, including printers to Hewlitt Packard who will recycle your old items for you.
Printer cartidges
FedEx Kinko’s accepts used Inkjet and Toner cartridges. Staple’s accepts used Inkjet or Laser Toner cartridges. Simply return your printer cartridges to a FedEx Kinko’s or Staples retail branch and they will take care of the recycling for you.
Stereo
For a nominal fee, Best Buy will haul away televisions, computer monitors, and appliances when new purchases are made or delivered. Best Buy also hosts a series of weekend recycling events at its store parking lots across the U.S. Find a Best Buy recycling event in your area.
Televisions
Televisions contain toxic materials which can contaminate the environment if broken in a landfill. In 1997 the U.S. EPA declared computer monitors and TV screens as hazardous waste and banned them from landfills. Because of their toxic nature there is usually a fee to recycle televisions. For a nominal fee, Best Buy will haul away televisions, computer monitors, and appliances when new purchases are made or delivered. Best Buy also hosts a series of weekend recycling events at its store parking lots across the U.S. Find a recycling event in your area
You can donate TVs in good working condition to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or other thrift stores.
Household items
If your household items are in good shape, then you can donate them for reuse to the Salvation Army, Goodwill and other thrift stores. Or you can give them to Habitat for Humanity and help make affordable housing a little homier. Search Earth 911 for donation spots in your area.
Appliances
Donate working toasters, blenders, microwaves, etc. to your local Habitat for Humanity and help make affordable housing a little homier.
Cutlery/utensils
Not all curbside recycling programs accept metal cutlery. These can be donated for reuse to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or thrift stores. Find out more about your municipal recycling program from the National Recycling Coalition.
Furniture
Freecycle.com is an international grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure! Everything posted on Freecycle is free; individuals and groups work out their own bartering systems. Sell it on Craig’s List and you make the arrangements with the buyer for pick-up/drop-off. Or if eBay is your seller of choice, consider using Mission Fish to support your favorite causes through trading on eBay. A portion of the profits go to a nonprofit of your choosing, and you get a tax deductible receipt!
Excess Access serves both charities and the environment by matching your unwanted household materials with the wish-lists of nearby nonprofits that can provide pick-ups or accept drop-offs.
Donate furniture and other household goods to Goodwill International, Salvation Army, or the Vietnam Veterans of America (who will pick it up from the sidewalk in front of your house). One main source of funding for the Vietnam Veterans of America is through the solicitation and resale of donated household items.
Pots and pans
Not all curbside recycling programs recycle metal pots and pans. These can be donated for reuse to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or thrift stores. Find out more about your municipal recycling program from the National Recycling Coalition.
Tools
Donate tools to your local Habitat for Humanity where they can be put to good use building affordable housing.
I didn’t know I could recycle this:
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