How to Recycle...Everything

By Darragh Worland, Tonic

Have you ever found yourself about to chuck a bunch of packing material after a big move or bringing home that new flat screen TV only to wonder if maybe you could recycle all those peanuts instead? If only you knew where to take them!Well, now you can find out in a hot minute. Earth911 has a toll-free hotline and website with an exhaustive directory of recycling and disposal centers near you. Now, while many municipalities have curbside recycling programs, we all know there are plenty of products that you can’t just pack up in a clear plastic bag and leave at the curb.

Recycling things like batteries, cell phones, gift cards, computers, game consoles, plastic bags, plastic bottle caps and those packing peanuts takes a little more forethought, but it can and should be done, whenever possible.

Earth911 started as a toll-free hotline and directory of recycling listings in 1991, but has since evolved into a website with all kinds of information on recycling, including daily news, feature stories and more.

But rather than ditch the phone system in favor of the website, Earth911 has recently upgraded its hotline to speed and simplify the process of accessing information. Now users can get location-specific information in a jiffy, without being tethered to the Internet. Earth911 also says the phone system is easier to navigate and even bilingual, so now Spanish-speaking Americans can use it, too.

You may recognize the hotline number: 1-800 CLEANUP is featured on hundreds of millions of products nationwide. Companies use it to direct their consumers to recycling and disposal options for hundreds of different items, including potentially toxic substances like paint and motor oil.

With spring cleaning on your to-do list there’s no time like the present to sort through that box of “to-be-recycled-some-day” items.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Rebecca B.

7:42AM PDT on May 16, 2013

i think the individual can’t make much difference to climate change unless governments and companies make changes first. On example is with items put into recycling bins in the uk are not always recycled this is because the is not enough recycling plant this the waste in recycling bins goes to landfill

May 16
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Abbe A.

5:34AM PDT on Jun 4, 2012

thanks

June 4
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Johnice R.

6:52AM PDT on May 1, 2012

My city handles all of these items and more...we developed our recycling in the mid 1980s which began with only paper and plastic, now only plastic grocery bags are not accepted. The shopping centers have a receptacle for the plastic bags.

May 1
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Laura M.

7:50PM PDT on Apr 30, 2012

Thank you SO MUCH. I had never heard of Earth911. I often find myself stumped (dilapidated shoes? broken spectacles? digicam that would work except for one tiny mechanical injury?) and pile things in my closet. This will help me a lot.

April 30
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Linda S.

5:40AM PST on Jan 9, 2012

Thank you for the info.

January 9
send a green star

2:47AM PDT on Jul 12, 2011

Great resource and perfect timing. Thank you.

July 12
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Catharine B.

9:47AM PST on Feb 4, 2011

After Christmas, we found ourselves surrounded by heaps of packing materials.

We straightened out all the bubble wrap, put the peanuts in clear plastic bags, took address labels off small boxes, put it all in a large box, and added a large FREE sign to it.

At our favorite little thrift store, they told us that the last such box we brought was empty in less than an hour.
Just another idea...

Thank you for the website information.
We will use it!