10 Recyclable Things You May Not Know About

We all know about recycling paper, plastic, and aluminum. Here is a list of 10 recyclable things you may not have known about.

• Appliances:

Many stores will recycle your old appliance when you purchase a new one. Goodwill accepts working appliances. Go to goodwill.org, or you can contact the Steel Recycling Institute to recycle them.

• Athletic Shoes:

One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America, and Haiti. Nike’s Reuse-a-shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring.

• Batteries:

Contact batteryrecycling.com.

• Clothes:

Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or shelter. Donate wearable women’s business clothing to the nonprofit Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs. You can also offer unwearable clothes, blankets, and sheets to local animal boarding and shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding.

• Compact flourescent bulbs (CFL):

Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling. You can also order a Sylvania RecyclePak.

• Computers and Electronics:

To find the most responsible recyclers go to ban.org.

• Foam Packing Peanuts:

Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept these for reuse. Or call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council at 800-828-2214 to find a drop-off site. For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers at 410-451-8340.

• Ink/Toner cartridges:

Visit recycleplace.com.

• Oil:

Find used motor oil hotlines for each state at recycleoil.org.

• Phones:

Collective Good will refurbish your phone and sell it to someone in a developing country. Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 and gives them to domestic violence victims.

source: Green America Today