Where Can I Recycle Used CDs & DVDs?
About 100,000 lbs. of CDs are disposed of every month as of January 2010. Many people are interested in alternatives to throwing CDs and DVDs in the trash to minimize the environmental impacts from their production and disposal.
Reuse
If CDs and DVDs are in good shape, they can be donated to a local library or Goodwill, or sold on eBay, Craigslist or at a local used CD store.
Community Recycling
The cover and liner notes can be recycled with paper recycling. Most residential recycling programs do not recycle the plastic containers or the discs.
Recycling Companies
Electronic recycling companies recycle CDs by grinding them and forming new products. Used CDs and DVDs must be mailed to them. Most of these companies only accept large shipments from businesses, but a few will accept shipments from individuals. The fuel and energy costs of transporting the discs may outweigh the benefits from recycling them.
Recycling Locations
The National Recycling Coalition provides a list of places by city or ZIP code that accept used CDs and DVDs for reuse and/or recycling.
Other Options
CDs and DVDs can be borrowed from libraries, friends or purchased at used CD stores to minimize the amount that has to be disposed of.
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