How to Recycle EVERYTHING

How to Recycle EVERYTHING is meant to be your one all end all resource for recycling and disposing of all that clutter! Sometimes things accumulate because we don’t want to be rude to Mother Nature and trash them. Things like cans of paint, worn out clothes and broken electronics can stick around with no place to go.

Being green conscious can take extra time, sometimes more than a project will allow. For those times, we encourage you to do the best you can but keep the progress moving forward.  Then make a future plan for recycling so that it never becomes a burden again!

We will continue to add items and categories to this post so if you have a question about how to dispose or recycle something, please leave note in the comments! Our goal is to provide the most updated resources nationally as well as for our local clients here in Houston, TX when possible.

You’re welcome, Earth!

Batteries

Lead-acid and Rechargeable Batteries:

• Recycle – mail in your batteries or find a local recycling center here

Alkaline/Single-Use Batteries:

• Not generally recyclable
• AA, AAA, C and D batteries can be safely thrown away in the trash
• 9V and 6V batteries should have their terminals taped and then sealed in a plastic bag before throwing away

Sources: https://www.duracell.com/en-us/technology/battery-care-use-and-disposal/ http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/batteries.html                https://www.call2recycle.org/start-recycling/

Electronics

Working Electronics:

• Working electronics, regardless of age, can be donated to Goodwill

Unusable Electronics:

• You can recycle electronics at your local Best Buy and Staples stores — talk about convenient! Best Buy will also accept the random chargers or cords (even if you don’t know what they do)

Protecting Your Data:

One reason you might be holding on to that laptop from 2003 is that you know you have information saved on it and aren’t sure how to make sure your private data is safe. Here’s what we really think– if you haven’t been able to turn it on for 10+ years because you don’t have the right charge cord or it’s broken, a random person who might get their hands on it isn’t going to bother. However, if you want to be 100% safe, here are some options:

• Take a hammer to the hard drive (we’re kidding…sort of!)
• Wipe the hard drive on your own — here are Best Buy’s tips
• Have the Geek Squad at Best Buy wipe your hard drive, then recycle it right there!

Target Stores accept mp3 players, cell phones and ink cartridges! As well as plastic bags (this includes dry cleaning bags, grocery bags and clean ziplocks!)

Eyeglasses

• If they are in decent condition, you can donate them to the Lions Club — find out more information here
• If you have a broken pair lying around, you can pop out the glass lenses and recycle them with your other glass recycling. Then toss the broken frames in the trash!

Sources: http://glassescrafter.com/information/10-things-for-old-glasses.html      https://recyclenation.com/2015/04/how-to-recycle-glasses/

Hangers

Since Goodwill and other thrift stores won’t accept most hangers, here are some other solutions:

Wire Hangers:

• Ask your local dry cleaners if they will take them
• Many scrap metal recyclers will accept them since most are made of steel – search for your local recycling center here

Sources: https://earth911.com/living-well-being/style/recycling-clothes-hangers/ https://www.hunker.com/13419952/how-to-donate-plastic-hangers http://www.sunshineguerrilla.com/2018/03/where-to-donate-hangers.html

Jewelry

A great way to dispose of costume jewelry (even broken!) is to donate to a charitable organization called I Have Wings Breast Cancer Foundation. They are dedicated to enriching the lives of families during a breast cancer diagnosis. Their committee takes the time to repair, clean and disinfect old costume jewelry to resell in order to raise funds. Find more information about how to donate jewelry here.

Lightbulbs

CFL Lightbulbs and Flourescent Tubes:

• These shouldn’t be thrown in the trash because they contain mercury
• Recycle them at your local Lowes or Home Depot, or find a recycling center here

Standard and Halogen Lightbulbs:

• These can safely be thrown away in the trash
• They cannot be recycled because the small wires and glass are hard to separate

Sources: https://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/stories/5-ways-to-dispose-of-old-cfls https://www.easy-lightbulbs.com/lighting-guides/safe-light-bulb-disposal/

Luggage / Suitcases

• If your used luggage is in decent condition you can donate it to Goodwill or another thrift store
• If your items are really damaged, go ahead and throw them away instead of letting them clutter up your home!

Medicine

There are a few options for disposing of unneeded or expired medications:

• The easiest option for disposing of medicines is to throw them away. Here’s how to do it responsibly:
  1. Mix medicines (do not crush) with dirt, kitty litter or used coffee grounds
  2. Put the mixture in a ziploc bag and throw in the trash
  3. If prescription, scratch out your personal information on the bottle and throw away
• The DEA hosts National Prescription Drug Take Back Days and you can find the details here
• There are also DEA-authorized collectors where you can take your prescription drugs. Find yours here!

Sources: https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/EnsuringSafeUseofMedicine/SafeDisposalofMedicines/ucm186187.htm

Paint

Water-Based Latex Paint:

This type of paint has a shelf life of up to 10 years. Here are some options for how to dispose of any that you no longer need:

• Recycle – find a local recycling center here – just type “paint” into the search bar and enter your zip code!
• Throw away
  • If you have just a small amount in the can, open the top and let it dry out on its own
  • If there is a larger amount left, add some cat litter or sawdust to it and wait for it to dry
  • Once the paint is dry, you can simply throw it in the trash!

Oil-Based Paint:

This type of paint has a shelf life of up to 15 years. It generally can’t be recycled, and should be used up until there’s none left. Here’s how:

• Paint a wood board, cardboard or newspapers in a well-ventilated place until there is no paint left
• Once the paint is dry, throw away the painted item (unless you plan on using it) and the empty paint can!

Sources: https://www.lowes.com/projects/paint-stain-and-wallpaper/store-dispose-paint-properly/project https://earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-paint/ http://www.recycleinfo.org/recycle-paint-dispose.html http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/paint.html

• If you’re a part of a knitting group, see if anyone in the group would like your unwanted skeins!
• Donate to a local school, art center or nursing home
• If it’s new and you have a receipt, try returning to the store
• Sell groups of yarn on Etsy or Ebay

Sources: https://www.craftsy.com/knitting/article/donating-yarn/ https://pocketsense.com/donate-bedding-6336.html

https://www.amazinggoodwill.com/donating/donor-guidelines http://www.sewmamasew.com/2016/03/12-places-to-donate-your-unwanted-fabric/  https://www.hunker.com/12001662/how-to-dispose-of-old-pillows

Water Filters

• You can recycle your Brita filters, pitchers, and other Brita products through Terracycle for free — find out how here
• Another way to recycle various kinds of plastic water filters (not just Brita) is through Preserve — find info on how to mail in your filters here

Sources: http://www.filtersfast.com/blog/index.php/2016/03/where-recycle-water-filters/

Fridges and Appliances

• The Refrigenator charges a flat $40 trip fee to come and collect your broken or unwanted appliances and reuse or recycle them, including refrigerators, freezers, chillers, water coolers, dehumidifiers, window A/C units, ice machines, washers, dryers, dishwashers, stoves, microwaves etc!
• If you have a full size refrigerator in working condition and are a residential electric customer of CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, CenterPoint will pick up your fridge for free, recycle responsibly and GIVE you $30!

We hope this is helpful in your clean out endeavors! Some of the links will be helpful nationally and some just for our local clients. A great starting point is the Earth 911 Search. If you have questions about any other categories or items, please leave in comments so that we can research for you!