How do I recycle old, used VHS tapes properly that I cannot sell or get rid of?
I’m in the process of cleaning out old boxes and found a bunch of old VHS tapes of tv shows/movies that I recorded years ago that I no longer need/want. I would like to recycle these tapes in a green manner instead of just tossing them in the dump. I’ve heard of greendisk.com but didn’t know if there was another way.
I have done a bit of reading about recycling VHS tapes. It is a question, of course, that comes up again and again and again. Five or more years ago there were companies that collected them. However the costs of recycling them apparently became considerably more expensive and most companies who had been recycling them ceased doing so. Four years ago, some recycling companies would take the tapes away at a charge – the charge helped them cover the costs of recycling them. Right now, there are very few companies recycling them and you have to pay to have them do so.
The only thing I have seen besides a few odd suggestions like using them to scare birds away in your garden and crocheting bags out of them is to make sure you explore every avenue that you can to give them away ande have them reused – try schools, hospitals, nursing homes, daycares, friends, family…anthing to delay their arrival in landfills.
I looked at Greendisk.com and the cost is$6.95 for up to 20 pounds and $.30 per additional pound. For the masses of videotapes out there, this is going to add up.
It is too bad that there isn’t a proper way to dispose of them that is easily accessible to all. There are millions of videocassettes destined for the garbage.
Brenda
goodwill or craigslist… someone will want them
Great question!!
i think another way you can do it is if you completely take the film out of it so that its only plastic, and then send it to the recycling center for plastic.
Put it in the microwave for an hour, then recycle the little blob as plastic. Just kidding. Throw it in the trash and forget about it. Or pull the tape out and string it up all over someone’s yard. It’s getting late.
FreeCycle on Yahoo Groups