For all of you who’ve wondered how to recycle or compost assorted items, here’s a list to post on the fridge & share with friends.  Enjoy!

1. Appliances: Goodwill accepts working appliances (www.goodwill.org) or contact the Steel Recycling Institute to recycle them (800-YES-I-CAN / www.recycle-steel.org).

2. Batteries: For rechargeable & single use batteries, as well, contact Battery Solutions (734-467-9110 / www.batteryrecycling.com).

3. Cardboard Boxes: Contact local nonprofits & women’s shelters to see if they can use them.  Or offer them up at your local Freecycle.org listserv or on Craigslist.org.  And, if your workplace collects at least 100 boxes or more each month, UsedCardboardBoxes.com accepts them for resale.

4. CDs/DVDs/Game Disks: Send scratched music or computer CDs, Dvds & PlayStation or Nintendo video game disks to AuralTexch for refinishing & they’ll work like new (888-454-3223 / www.auraltech.com).  For recycling, see “Technotrash.”

5. Clothes: Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or women’s shelter.  Donate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs (212-532-1922 / www.dressforsuccess.org).  Offer unwearable clothes & towels to local animal boarding & shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding.

6. Compact Fluorescent Bulbs: Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling (www.ikea.com).  Or, order a Sylvania Recycle Pak for $15, which is a special lined box large enough for eight average CFLs.  Your fee covers shipping to & recycling at Veolia Environmental Systems.  We’re working on getting them in Green in BKLYN.  In the meantime, order them at www.sylvania.com.

7. Compostable Bio-Plastics: You’ll need to take them to a municipal composter.  Find one at www.findacomposter.com.

8. Computers & Electronics: Find responsible recyclers, local & national, at www.ban.org/pledge/Locations.html.

9. Exercise Videos: Swap them with others at www.videofitness.com.  Also see “Technotrash.”

10. Eyeglasses: Your local Lion’s Club or eye care chain may collect these.  Lenses are reground & given to people in need.  Sometimes, eyeglass stores will also take your old specs & forward them on to charities that reuse glasses.

11. Foam Packing Peanuts: Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept these for reuse.  Or, call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a drop-off site (800-828-2214).  For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers ( 410-451-8340 / www.epspackaging.org/info.html).

12. Ink/Toner Cartridges: Recycleplace.com pays $1 each.  Some office supply shops (like Staples & Office Max) sometimes have buy-back &/or recycling programs, too.

13. Miscellaneous: Get your unwanted items into the hands of people who can use them.  Offer them up on your local Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org listserv.  Or, try giving them away at Throwplace.com.  Or giving or selling them at iReuse.com.  iReuse.com will also help you find a recycler, if possible, when your items have reached the end of their useful lifecycle.

14. Oil: Find Used Motor Oil Hotlines for each state (202-682-8000 / www.recycleoil.org).

15. Phones: Donate cell phones: Collective Good will refurbish your phone & sell it to people in developing countries (770-856-9021 / www.collectivegood.com).  Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 & gives them to domestic violence victims (www.donateaphone.com).  Recycle single-lines at Reclamere (814-386-2927 / www.reclamere.com).

16. Sports Equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet (800-476-9249 . www.playitagain-sports.com).

17. “Technotrash”: Easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio & video tapes, cell phones, pagers, rechargeable & single-use batteries, PDAs & ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash program.  For a small fee, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box in shich you can ship them up to 70 pounds of any of the above items.  Your fee covers the box as well as shipping & recyvling fees (800-305-GREENDISK / www.greendisk.com).

18. Tennis Shoes: One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America & Haiti (www.oneworldrunning.com).  Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program turns olds shoes into playground & athletic flooring (www.nikereuseashoe.com).

19. Toothbrushes & Razors: Buy a recycled plastic Recycline toothbrush or razor (from Green in BKLYN) & the company will take them back to be recycled again into plastic lumber.  Recycline toothbrushes & razors are made from used Stonyfield Farms’ yogrut cups (888-354-7296 / www.recycline.com)

20. Tyvek Envelopes: Quantities less than 25: Send to Shirley Cimburke, Tyvek Recycling Specialist, 5401 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Spot 197, Room 231, Richmond VA 23234.  Quantities larger than 25, call 866-33-TYVEK.

21. Stuff You Just Can’t Recycle: When practical, send it back to the company & tell them they need to close the waste loop.

Courtesy of LOHAS Journal / Spring 2008