Since Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd, you might be thinking about what items you have that can be recycled or repurposed. Landfills are filling up fast and cause damage to our air and soil, so it’s important to be responsible with how you get rid of items you no longer need or use. However, it’s hard to know the right way to handle your recyclables. I come across people all the time who are holding on to things because they don’t know how to properly dispose of them.

Here you will find part one of a two-part blog post that will provide you with the necessary resources so you can get these unwanted items to the right place. Over the years, I have created a list that I use to recycle anything that my clients might be holding on to.  This list is alphabetized to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. All links and information below have been verified as of the date of this post.

Batteries

  • Waste Management Think Green From Home — Purchase a Battery Recycling Kit and when the box is full, use the pre-paid shipping label to return it back to Waste Management.
  • MOM’s Organic Market — Take your old batteries to their Recycle Center. They also recycle cell phones, eyeglasses, shoes, and more.
  • Call2Recycle — Use their online map to find a drop-off location near you. Contact the location before visiting to confirm any Covid restrictions.

Brother Brand Supplies (Toner, Ink Cartridges, Label Tape, etc.)

  • Brother — Send your Brother supplies to them for recycling. Just box up your items, print a free shipping label from their site, and drop it off at the post office.

eWaste:  (TVs, Cell Phones, Chargers, Ink Cartridges, etc.)

Lightbulbs

  • Recycle A Bulb — Plug in your zip code to find locations near you to recycle lightbulbs.
  • Waste Management Think Green From Home — Purchase a recycling kit and mail it back when your box is full.
  • IKEA — Drop off your household items, cardboard, and more at their Recycling Station.

Mattresses

  • Bye Bye Mattress — Find a recycling location near you to take your old mattress. Contact the location prior to drop-off to verify any Covid restrictions.

Medicine

  • Safe Pharmacy Drug Disposal – Enter your city or zip code to find permanent drug disposal boxes in your area.
  • US Food & Drug Administration — Check here for guidelines on how to dispose of medicine at home. Also, find out if your community participates in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Paint

  • Paint Care — Some states have drop-off sites for your paints and primers. Contact the location first to confirm that they are accepting drop-offs during Covid.
  • I always recommend that you call your local paint store to ask if they accept used paint for recycle or disposal.

Shoes

  • Nike — Drop off your old athletic shoes of any brand to give them new life through Nike’s recycling program. Check with your nearest store to see if they are accepting shoes for recycling.

Syringes & Lancets

Trophies, Plaques, and Medals

  • Lamb Awards & Engraving — Trophies and plaques are broken down for parts and reused. Email them with information about items you have that can be recycled.
  • Sports Medal Recycling — Old medals are recycled as well as any ribbon or plastic.

Wine Corks

  • ReCork — Find a collection partner near you to drop off your wine corks. Call ahead to confirm any Covid restrictions.
  • MOM’s Organic Market — You can recycle your wine corks at the Recycle Center along with batteries, cell phones, eyeglasses, and more.

Miscellaneous:

  • Recycling Services, Inc. — Accepts many papers, glass, and plastics for recycling. Check their website for a full list of acceptable materials.
  • Waste Management Lamp Tracker — Easy recycling for a variety of items such as fluorescent lamps, batteries, aerosols, and medical waste.
  • Purple Heart Disposal — Accepts household waste and recyclable materials
  • Clean Earth — Offers recycling and disposal of household hazardous waste.
  • TerraCycle — Hosts a variety of free and paid recycling options for a large range of items.
  • Recycle Nation — Use the search function on their website to find a recycling resource near you. Find a resource for anything from electronics to plastic to glass.
  • Earth911 — Use the search function on their website to find a recycling resource near you or call their toll-free number for location details. Also, check out their How To Recycle page for information about the recycling process and other FAQs.

If you’re looking to recycle something that’s not on this list, you can always Google “recycling near me” to find resources close to you. You can also check with your local waste management facility to learn what they can recycle.

Do you have a recycling resource that you’ve used that’s not on the list? Let me know! I’m always looking to expand the list to make it as useful as possible. If you need help sorting through your recyclable items, please let me know. You can reach me at (267) 970-0769 or dawn@dgorganizing.com.

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