I collect accessory computer waste via my GreenDisk trash can at my children’s school. Okay, I admit it. In fact, truth be told, I have been obsessively collecting electronic accessory waste for 3 1/2 years which includes DVDs, CDs, VHS, and their plastic cases and other assorted goodies. (Read here what GreenDisk recycles.)
Now that you know what kind of lunatic I am. Are you wondering why? There is an obvious method to my madness. At least I think so.
So why did this fascination become a hobby? I got turned onto collecting computer accessories because I was the recipient of umpteen copies of AOL CD disks. Do you remember when you were constantly getting those AOL try me disks in the mail? So, what did you think people did with them?
Some crafty people actually made home made goodies to give to their loved ones. (You know, those beautiful coasters for your drinks?) The vast majority did the old pitch in the trash can routine.
I just thought there had to be an answer instead of throwing away these disks. Making art projects and trivets for drinks was not my style. Nor was pitching since I think of myself as sort of a Recycling Diva.
Thank goodness for GreenDisk and their wonderful trash cans. Because of this little Company, my soul has been let free to express my true inner recycling self. (Okay, this is a nice way of saying, I am compulsive when it comes to recycle. I know I have a problem…but in a good way, right?)
Over the last three years, I get such a kick at what people put in the box. Sometimes I feel like the Statute of Liberty.
Give me your tired, your poor and huddled unwanted CDs, VHS tapes, and DVDs yearning to be recycled…as well as anything you just don’t want.
I receive lots of VHS tapes of recorded television shows, unwanted software, and lot of used CDs and DVDs. I have yet to receive porn. At least, I have not found it in my box.
I generally pick through the mass of electronic minutia to find some jems that the teachers at my school would like. And put them in the teacher lounge for them to take. Recently, I found The Truman Show with Jim Carey in my pile.
I even found a bunch of disk holders that the library teacher could reuse as jackets for the kids’ yearly portfolio work CDs.
In the box this time was scrap metal that I will recycle at the scrap yard.
And there is the plastic waste. Some I can recycle like the plastic bags but others I can’t such as the plastic/paper disk holders.
And there is all that paper that needs to be recycled. It is just amazing how much packaging waste there is.
This sorting takes about an hour since I look at every piece to see if I can give it to someone rather than recycle it. Then I put what’s left back into the box to get it ready to ship, and start the whole process over with a new trash can.
Although you might think cleaning out my box would be boring, it isn’t. It is pretty interesting to see what shows people tape and stuff they throw away. Who knows? Tomorrow may bring another treasure.
So, readers, what do you do with your old VHS tapes, CDs you no longer want, or used up DVDs?
Are you a recycaholic? If so, how?
Kathleen McDade says
January 20, 2010 at 12:08 amI’ve used GreenDisk before, too. I work in a school, and we have pretty good recycling available, although we haven’t been using GreenDisk there. I send all of my electronics to the school district’s computer repair department, and they recycle them.
However, today I inherited an old Commodore 64 monitor! I’m trying to place it in the district’s historical museum instead of just recycling it.
.-= Kathleen McDade´s last blog ..Searching For a Bedtime Routine =-.
Green Talk says
January 20, 2010 at 2:15 pmKathleen, love your idea. A Commodore 64 monitor! Anna
Luc J says
January 20, 2010 at 4:05 pmNice idea! I can imagine you waiting to see what the harvest will be this time. A surprise a day….
Green Talk says
January 21, 2010 at 12:57 amLuc J, it is really fun to see what is in the box. One day someone left me a new box of CD-Rs. Now that is someone going green. Probably downloading on their ipod vs CDs! Don’t you love technology? Anna
The Green Cat says
January 21, 2010 at 4:08 pmThanks for sharing this. Mark at 3RLiving in Brooklyn sometimes shares what gets tossed in his store’s greendisk bin on his blog. I find it fascinating.
Around my office I’m known as the chick who won’t throw anything out. We’ve got a shelf in the kitchen where folks can leave things to give away (like our own personal Freecycle) but I always swoop in at the end of the day before things can get trashed so I can take them for recycling or reuse.
Green Talk says
January 22, 2010 at 12:06 amGreen Cat, we could be BFFs! I love that you swoop in and make sure things get recycled at the end of the day. What a cool office that you have with a mini Freecycle shelf in your kitchen. Everyone should read your comment and incorporate something like this. Can you shoot me a picture so I can post it? Anna
The Green Cat says
January 22, 2010 at 11:28 amAnna:
Next time there are items up on the shelf I’ll snap a photo. It’s erratic–depends on when folks clean out their offices 🙂 Just yesterday I saved a very dirty pashmina scarf from the trash. No one wanted it because it was stained and I was afraid it would get tossed so I took it home and washed it. I plan to donate it to Goodwill or send it off to textiles recycling if the stains don’t come out.
.-= The Green Cat´s last blog ..Flat! =-.
Mallory @ MissMalaprop says
January 28, 2010 at 1:03 amThis makes me feel not so crazy for keeping a ton of recycling stations set up at work, and bringing things home to recycle them, since we have no actual recycling program at work! On the e-waste recycling front, we’ve got at least 3 broken laptops from my boyfriend’s days in IT that we still have yet to figure out quite what to do with. He keeps promising to bring them to some other computer guys he knows to see if they want them, but I’m ready for some recycling solution to happen and have them leave the house!
(P.S. Thanks for the kind words about my blog on that post at Glue & Glitter!)
Green Talk says
January 28, 2010 at 12:04 pmMallory, now I don’t feel alone! Your welcome about the compliment about your blog. It’s fun. Anna
CarlyS says
January 18, 2011 at 10:37 amI appreciate that you explain how “recycling” doesn’t have to mean sending materials to the recycler. If we can find second or even third-hand uses for materials it is much better than sending them off to be recycled because we are still cutting down on energy and material consumption. In short, use every thing in every way you can think of before sending it off to be recycled. Thanks for the great post!
Carly Shea
Green Interactive Intelligence