http://www.care2.com/greenliving/charitable-recycling-eyeglasses.html
Charitable Recycling: Eyeglasses, Printer Cartridges and Mobile Phones
Adapted from Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: An Easy Household Guide by Nicky Scott (Chelsea Green, 2007).
Who doesn’t keep old eyeglasses as a backup when they get a new pair—and end up with an overflowing drawer of dated glasses we wouldn’t be caught dead in now. If you find yourself in a drawer-cleaning frenzy, you might turn to our favorite recycling guide for advice on what to do with that pile of old glasses. We also stumbled across what to do with printer cartridges (also in a drawer) and mobile phones (yes, they usually have a drawer too). Here are some tips on how to recycle eyeglasses, printer cartridges and mobile phones—those junk drawer items it just doesn’t feel right to throw away—and learn how to contribute to charity at the same time.
These tips are from Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: An Easy Household Guide by Nicky Scott–a great resource for figuring out what to do with the random items that are not listed in basic recycling guides. Our municipal recycling charts tell us all about juice cartons and newspapers, but eyeglasses and mobile phones? No. So, Nicky, take it away (so to speak).
Eyeglasses
Take eyeglasses to retailers for use in the third world. The Lions Club has a huge eyeglass recycling program. In 2005 they collected more than 5 million pairs of eyeglasses, distributing them to more than 3 million people in developing nations.
Note: Call (800)CLEANUP for a list of drop-off centers for your old eyeglasses. These centers are affiliated with a program called Give the Gift of Sight, which is sponsored by the Lions Club and LensCrafters.
Printer Cartridges
There are a growing number of businesses that will buy empty inkjet cartridges–as well as fundraising options such as Cartridges for Kids. Many print cartridge manufacturers will provide a prepaid envelope for convenient recycling. Always turn off a printer so that it parks the print head to prevent the cartridge head from drying up.
Mobile Phones
Recycling you mobile phone can help to reduce the impact that mining of the mineral coltan is having on the wildlife (think: gorillas) and forests of Congo. Coltan is used to process the rare element tantalum required in the manufacture of mobile phones.
• You can return your unwanted mobile phone and accessories directly to retail outlets throughout the country. Some states have introduced legislation requiring all wireless phone providers to accept phones for reuse or recycling.
• Sprint Project Connect is a recycling program from Sprint, who accepts all makes and models of phones regardless of the service provider. Proceeds go to programs focusing on children and Internet safety.
•You can send your phone to Phones 4 Charity, an organization that supports a number of charities including the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Wildlife Federation. Non-working phones are recycled.
• Donate your phone to the national Call to Protect program, which provides phones to domestic violence agencies; phones are refurbished and become lifelines for domestic violence survivors when faced with an emergency situation.
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88 comments
add your comment »http://www.sotheworldmayhear.org/
This is an organization that accepts and refurbishes hearing aids to be used worldwide. I was pleased to find an organization that welcomes donations. When my father passed away and I was searching to donate, the Lions Club directed me to them.
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I have just joined a great community called Oz Recycle. In my first weekend I was rid of an old bed and mobile phone that went to two new and grateful homes:
http://www.ozrecycle.com/
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I don't follow the logic of Txt-up's comment about thin-framed glasses. And I can't read Nedall's comments, as they are in Arabic (or a related language).
Businesses are taking used ink cartridges for store credit (which, in turn, saves our business money when it comes to buying other things). Staples and Offfice Depot will do this--and (just as my Epson printer is ready to head to an e-waste plant) they're now taking Epson cartridges.
Walgreens will refill cartridges, but the printer manufactureres recommend against refilling cartridges. The practice apparently can damage the printer. Has anyone tried refilling?
IIRC, used cellphones can or are donated to abused-women's shelters--after the phones have been reprogrammed and cleaned up.
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The Lions Club also takes used Hearing Aids
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افلام اجنبية
افلام رعب
مملكه بنات
منتديات
افلام عربية
افلام جنسية
افلام سكسية
مملكة
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It's about time C2 woke-up to this simple idea, that had been mention before. C2, seems rather choosy who they will help.
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small width plastic can not be recycled. we must not use theme.
Luke Pasqualino
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Not only is colton used in cell phones, it's also used in laptops & MP3 players, & it's not just a concern for gorillas. purchase of this mineral promotes horrid rapes in The Congo, which have happened even to girls as young as 4. And if that's not enough, the men often continue the acts with branches, rupturing their innards, and if able to survive, they're horribly uncomfortable & incontinent--if still able to walk. As if that's not enough, many women are taken hostage and repeatedly raped by about 20 men. If pregnant, they stomp on their bellies til they miscarry, collecting the remains, and make the mother drink it. Seriously! You can see the documentary The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo. The reason men rape is due to superstition that they'll lose the war if they don't. And anyone who's been raped is then ostracized by the community. If her hubby defends her, they kill him. If he doesn't, he'll probably leave her. You can get reconditioned phones instead of new. Australia has about 10% of the worlds colton (the only other found place) but those privy to this knowledge, wanting to make a difference, are told the mineral for that product's from Australia when it's been delivered there from The Congo. Please DON'T throw these items away! Also, consider reconditioned instead of brand new, for many reasons.
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Our low-income apartment building provides receptacles for recycling and the maintenance crew sorts anything that residents haven't sorted. My husband and I also use an increasing number of plastic containers; he, for storing homemade cheese and bread-baking supplies; me for seed-starting and other garden uses.
We started an organic garden behind the building this year, and I started worm bins and composting. Besides personal food-scraps and scraps from other apartments, I also collect spoiled food from food-banks for composting and worm-bins.
I am going to pass on the links for donating old cell-phones to friends that have such, and the link for donating empty print cartridges to our street newspaper office. (Hey, I already got them to start an office worm-bin!)
The most difficult thing to recycle for low-income people without easy transportation is old electronic equipment. Some agencies are beginning to address that issue, too.
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I grew up always recycling my old glasses (been wearing them since I was 4 years old).
My husband and I recycle: all cardboard boxes (cereal boxes, rice-a-roni, and other such food boxes), glass, plastics (milk and soda mainly), tin (dog food cans, soup cans, etc), newspapers ... the amount of garbage we take to the convenience centers is A LOT less ... and we only go twice a month.
If I lived in a community that cared (which I don't), I would organize a massive recycling program (the old cellphones, glasses, ink cartridges, old batteries of all kinds, and so much more).
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