The longer I’m around, the more I notice the cyclical nature of, well, life. What goes around does, indeed, come around.

The question of recycling, where, how & why is often asked. And so, the question is revisited with the hopes that it will help make “reduce, reuse, recycle” an easy, fun, frequent activity. Plus, isn’t that part of going around & coming around, too?

Here are a few great on-line resources for reducing, reusing & recycling. Some serious & some just serious fun:

• earth911.com & 1800recycling.com (All Kinds of Recycling): For all kinds of info on where to recycle what, when & how in your neighborhood. These are a couple of those go-to sites.
• batteryrecycling.com (Batteries): For rechargeable & single use batteries, check out Battery Solutions.
• habitat.org/env/restores.aspx (Building Stuff): Habitat ReStore accepts leftovers in good condition from construction & remodeling jobs & uses the proceeds to fund affordable housing projects.
• dressforsuccess.org (Business Clothing): Donate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success & they’ll give them to low-income women searching for jobs.
• ncadv.org (Cell Phones): Donate old cellphones to help raise money for your favorite charities. NCADV (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence) is one that’ll take them.
• delforte.com/rejeaneration (Del Forte Jeans): Return old Del Fortes back to the company. They’ll give you 10% off your next purchase. And make some things you might end up purchasing with your jeans.
• swapadvd.com (DVDs): Post ten DVD titles to receive credit on the site. Each time you mail a movie, you accumulate more points. Then trade for new old DVDs with those points. Who needs cable!
• myboneyard.com & venjuvo.com (Electronics): PCs, MP3 players, cameras & more can be traded online for cash at these sites. AND…
• radioshack.com/tradein & officedepot.com/techtradein & staples.com (Electronics): Those items can also be traded online for store credit or for a small fee.
• buymytronics.com (Electronics): Recycle broken or used electronics in exchange for cold, hard cash. They’ll pay dollars, reuse the working parts & recycle the rest.
• www.usps.com/green (Electronics): A pilot program with Clover Technologies Group & the USPS is available a select post offices. Where it’s happening, you can ship stuff for recycling for free through the Mail Back program. So cool.
• patagonia.com/recycle (Fleece): Drop off or mail fleece garments (of any brand) to Patagonia & they’ll recycle the old fabrics into new clothing for future seasons. Everything old is new again!
• reecycle.org (Free Stuff): Join your local Yahoo! group to search for free stuff in your ‘hood. Everything’s free & you can rid yourself of the clutter you no longer want.
• swapnstuff.com & swaptree.com (Fun Swaps): Trade CDs, DVDs, books & video games at these to groovy sites.
• recycleplace.com (Ink/Toner Cartridges): Not only will you recycle those cartridges, but they’ll give you cash for them.
• gimmeyourstuff.blogspot.com (International Swaps): Swap stuff with someone from another country. Think souvenirs & cultural kitsch!
• proquo.com (Junk Mail Reduction): Register your name & address to remove yourself from mailing lists for all those offers, catalogs & coupons you never wanted in the first place. Down with junkmail!
• recycleoil.org (Motor Oil): This site will help you find Used Motor Oil Hotlines for each state. Oils meant for recycling, not gunking up our water supply!
• plasticbagrecycling.com (Plastic Bags): Find a local spot for recycling plastic bags – think bread, produce, shopping & even Ziploc bags. Bags begone!
• oneworldrunning.com (Shoes): Shoes in still wearable condition will be sent to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America & Haiti.
• playitagainsports.com (Sports Equipment): Resell or trade your sports equipment with Play It Again Sports. Croquet, anyone?
• nike.com/nikebiz/reuseashoe (Sports Shoes): Send worn out athletic shoes to Nike & they’ll make ‘em into “Nike Grind” (even if they’re not Nike shoes). This stuff’ll be donated to children’s organizations & used in sports surfaces.
• greendisk.com (Technotrash): For a small fee, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box in which you can ship them up to 70 pounds of technotrash including CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio & video tapes, cell phones, pagers, batteries & so on & so forth. Awesome!
• videofitness.com (Workout Videos): Yes, you can even swap exercise videos on line. Om that’s good.
• recycline.com (#5 Plastics): Send your Preserve products, yogurt containers & other #5 plastics back the Recycline & they’ll make them into more groovy BPA free products. Here’s the address: Preserve Gimme 5
  823 NYS Route 13, Cortland NY  13045.

For additional recycling info, do a Search in our Blog (i.e., type “Recycle That” for some local resources).

But, one of my favorite resources, the Council on the Environment of New York City, has even more recycling info on their site.  Below is their condensed version…  I suggest you visit their site & sign up for all kinds of great environmental info!  Enjoy & happy recycling…

NYC has an extensive recycling program, and there are many ways to recycle additional materials. Here are just a few resources. Check out www.NYC.gov/nycwasteless for a comprehensive collection of recycling information and resources.

Batteries

Rechargeable batteries are prohibited from household garbage and can be recycled at stores that sell batteries of that type. For more info on this law, visit www.nyc.gov/nycwasteless or call 311. Select Greenmarkets have collection bins for cell phones and rechargeable batteries or you can visit www.RBRC.org to get a bin for your building.

Single-use alkaline batteries can be recycled at Interstate Batteries on Berrian Blvd in Astoria and at the NYC Department of Sanitation’s Special Waste Drop-Off Site in your borough. (Note: Whole Foods and 3RLiving have suspended their in-store battery collections).

For more information on disposing of batteries in NYC visit NYCWasteLe$$.

Business Recycling

All businesses must recycle in NYC. Visit the NYCWasteLe$$ page dedicated to businesses, which provides tips and resources for setting up a recycling program. Looking to get rid of reusable items without loading up a landfill, or trying to save money by acquiring used goods? Check out NY WasteMatch – a free match-making service for used and surplus goods. This commercial materials exchange helps businesses save money on purchases and/or disposal, while also helping the environment.

Bicycles

Tired of your old bicycle? Donate it to Recycle a Bicycle or Time’s UP! and make someone’s day!

Building Materials

Save money on renovations by buying from and donating to NYC’s building materials reuse centers, Build It Green! and Rebuilders Source. Visit their websites to view their inventories of cabinets, doors, appliances, paint and more.

Cell Phones

Any store that sells cell phones in New York State has to take them back. You can also recycle your old phone for a cause through Collective Good, which will refurbish it for reuse if possible.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)

Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) save energy and last much longer, but still require disposal eventually. These items, which contain trace amounts of mercury, are permissible in household garbage but can be recycled at several sites in the City. Get more info on light bulb recycling and CENYC’s CFL recycling pilot program at www.cenyc.org/CFL.

Compost

Why let your food scraps go to waste? Many NYC community gardens offer composting to turn your coffee grounds, vegetable trimmings and other organic waste into “black gold” to fertilize flowers, vegetables and trees. Find out where at www.nyccompost.org or drop it off at the Union Square Greenmarket with the Lower East Side Ecology Center or at the Ft. Greene Greenmarket for composting at local community gardens. Check out the Manhattan Compost Map from Green Map for more local compost resources.

Clothing & Textiles

Materials such as old clothing and linens represent 6% of NYC’s waste but are 100% recyclable at our weekly Greenmarket textile recycling collections: Fridays at 97thSt. (8a-2p); Saturdays at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn (8a-4p), Ft Greene (8a-3p), McCarren Park (8a-2p), Inwood (8a-3p); Sundays at Tompkins Sq. (8a-2p) and Jackson Hts (8a-3p)JUL-NOV only; and Mondays & Saturdays at Union Square (8a-6p). Items in wearable condition can also find a new home through Freecycle™ New York City or local charities. Contact Wearable Collections for information on setting up a collection in your very own apartment building!

Computers & Electronics

Although they are a small portion of the waste stream by volume, computers and electronics contribute about 70% of the toxicity to landfills. There are many recycling opportunities for these items. Find upcoming collection days on our Recycling Events page, visit Take It Back NYC for info on manufacturer recycling or click here for info on free computer recycling at local Goodwill stores.

Food

Food that is still edible need not go to waste. Find a soup kitchen or food pantry near you with this handy interactive map from the NYC Coalition Against Hunger. Large volumes of canned food can be donated through the Food Bank for NYC. Contact City Harvest for information on donating large amounts of fresh, perishable and prepared foods.

Furniture

Goodwill Industries, The Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul, Housing Works, Everything Goes, Furnish-a-Future and other non-profit organizations provide good homes for old furniture. You can also look for takers through Craigslist.org and Freecycle.org

Ink Cartridges

Refilling ink cartridges reduces the amount of plastic that goes into the landfill. See Fine Star Imaging, Cartridge World, and Staples. Prepaid return labels or envelopes are available on all brands of toner and ink cartridges so you can return them for free recycling.

Junk Mail

Take your name off of mass mailing lists with the Direct Mail Marketing Association and reduce catalog waste with Catalog Choice. Opt out of offers for credit cards and insurance through the Consumer Credit Reporting Industry. Stop unsolicited telephone books with the new Yellow Pages Opt Out.

Plastic Bags & Plastic Film

They make up 7.5% of our waste, and they never degrade. The key is to reduce your use of plastic bags. If you need to recycle your “stash” you can do so at many stores around the city, thanks to a recent local law that requires recycling of plastic film such as shopping bags, dry cleaning bags and newspaper bags.

Tubs, Cups & Other Plastics

Though not collected for recycling by the city, plastic tubs such as margarine and yogurt cups can be recycled at the Park Slope Food Coop. Bring #5 containers and Brita pitcher filters to most Whole Foods locations, mail to Preserve Gimme 5, 823 NYS Rte 13, Cortland, NY 13045. Click here to find drop-off sites in NYC.  NOTE: You can drop them off at Green in BKLYN, too!

Shoe Repair & Recycling

Don’t throw them out, resole them. An artifact of the past in many cities; the shoe repair business in New York City is thriving. These shops offer great value by extending the life of good shoes. If your running shoes are worn completely, you can recycle them through the Reuse-a-Shoe program, which makes them into athletic surfaces. You can drop off any brand of rubber-soled shoes at Niketown, 6 East 57th Street (212.891.6453) or mail them to the Nike Recycling Center, c/o Reuse-A-Shoe, 26755 SW 95th Ave., Wilsonville, OR 97070.

Swaps & Exchanges

Items that are no longer useful to you can still be helpful to others. Try catch-all resources like Craigslist.org or Freecycle.org or search NYC Stuff Exchange for a wide array of reuse options. And don’t miss CENYC’s Stop N’ Swaps!

Technotrash

Recycle CDs, floppy disks, VHS tapes, etc. by purchasing a Technotrash bin from Green Disk.

Today’s tips address ways & places to recycle all kinds of stuff in the ever continuing quest to reduce, reuse & (of course) recycle!  Enjoy…

• Swapthing.com: Lets you trade something you don’t need for something you do (i.e., comic books for vinyl or electronics for antiques).

• Freecycle.org: With over 3 million members around the world, there’s a lot of free stuff for exchanging & it’s all, well, free.

• Sharingisgiving.com: And another freecycling site for exchanging free stuff for free.

• Kaboo.com: This online site is a place where you  can sell or give away items that are unwanted, yet still useful to someone (else).

• Collectivegood.com: Here you can recycle your old monitors, laptops, desktop computers, gaming consoles, digital cameras, printers, MP3 players & phones for cash… Then, pick from their charity list to donate that cash or  keep it for yourself.

• Phonesforcharity.com: This one’s a national program designed to remove & recycle used cell phones while working with & directly benefiting charitable organizations.

• Electronicsrecycling.org: This site has everything in one place… How & why to recycle electronics (e-cycle), where to find a local e-cycler, how to choose an e-cycler & national manufacturer programs.

• Letmeplay.com/reuseashoe: Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program, which takes your worn-out kicks and turns them into Nike Grind, a material used in sports surfaces, playgrounds & new Nike products.

• Thrift Stores: Donating your old clothes, furniture & appliances to places such as Goodwill, the Salvation Army & women’s shelters helps put resources into the hands & bellies of folks in need.  And, finally…

• Libraries: Your old books are always welcome as donations at your local library.  They love to receive them & folks with library cards love to read them.  Freecycling as perfected across generations & perfect for everyone involved!

1. Appliances: Goodwill accepts working appliances (www.goodwill.org) or contact the Steel Recycling Institute to recycle them (800-YES-I-CAN / www.recycle-steel.org).

2. Batteries: For rechargeable & single use batteries, as well, contact Battery Solutions (734-467-9110 / www.batteryrecycling.com).

3. Cardboard Boxes: Contact local nonprofits & women’s shelters to see if they can use them.  Or offer them up at your local Freecycle.org listserv or on Craigslist.org.  And, if your workplace collects at least 100 boxes or more each month, UsedCardboardBoxes.com accepts them for resale.

4. CDs/DVDs/Game Disks: Send scratched music or computer CDs, Dvds & PlayStation or Nintendo video game disks to AuralTexch for refinishing & they’ll work like new (888-454-3223 / www.auraltech.com).  For recycling, see “Technotrash.”

5. Clothes: Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or women’s shelter.  Donate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs (212-532-1922 / www.dressforsuccess.org).  Offer unwearable clothes & towels to local animal boarding & shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding.

6. Compact Fluorescent Bulbs: Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling (www.ikea.com).  Or, order a Sylvania Recycle Pak for $15, which is a special lined box large enough for eight average CFLs.  Your fee covers shipping to & recycling at Veolia Environmental Systems.  We’re working on getting them in Green in BKLYN.  In the meantime, order them at www.sylvania.com.

7. Compostable Bio-Plastics: You’ll need to take them to a municipal composter.  Find one at www.findacomposter.com.

8. Computers & Electronics: Find responsible recyclers, local & national, at www.ban.org/pledge/Locations.html.

9. Exercise Videos: Swap them with others at www.videofitness.com.  Also see “Technotrash.”

10. Eyeglasses: Your local Lion’s Club or eye care chain may collect these.  Lenses are reground & given to people in need.  Sometimes, eyeglass stores will also take your old specs & forward them on to charities that reuse glasses.

11. Foam Packing Peanuts: Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept these for reuse.  Or, call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a drop-off site (800-828-2214).  For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers ( 410-451-8340 / www.epspackaging.org/info.html).

12. Ink/Toner Cartridges: Recycleplace.com pays $1 each.  Some office supply shops (like Staples & Office Max) sometimes have buy-back &/or recycling programs, too.

13. Miscellaneous: Get your unwanted items into the hands of people who can use them.  Offer them up on your local Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org listserv.  Or, try giving them away at Throwplace.com.  Or giving or selling them at iReuse.com.  iReuse.com will also help you find a recycler, if possible, when your items have reached the end of their useful lifecycle.

14. Oil: Find Used Motor Oil Hotlines for each state (202-682-8000 / www.recycleoil.org).

15. Phones: Donate cell phones: Collective Good will refurbish your phone & sell it to people in developing countries (770-856-9021 / www.collectivegood.com).  Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 & gives them to domestic violence victims (www.donateaphone.com).  Recycle single-lines at Reclamere (814-386-2927 / www.reclamere.com).

16. Sports Equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet (800-476-9249 . www.playitagain-sports.com).

17. “Technotrash”: Easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio & video tapes, cell phones, pagers, rechargeable & single-use batteries, PDAs & ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash program.  For a small fee, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box in shich you can ship them up to 70 pounds of any of the above items.  Your fee covers the box as well as shipping & recyvling fees (800-305-GREENDISK / www.greendisk.com).

18. Tennis Shoes: One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America & Haiti (www.oneworldrunning.com).  Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program turns olds shoes into playground & athletic flooring (www.nikereuseashoe.com).

19. Toothbrushes & Razors: Buy a recycled plastic Recycline toothbrush or razor (from Green in BKLYN) & the company will take them back to be recycled again into plastic lumber.  Recycline toothbrushes & razors are made from used Stonyfield Farms’ yogrut cups (888-354-7296 / www.recycline.com)

20. Tyvek Envelopes: Quantities less than 25: Send to Shirley Cimburke, Tyvek Recycling Specialist, 5401 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Spot 197, Room 231, Richmond VA 23234.  Quantities larger than 25, call 866-33-TYVEK.

21. Stuff You Just Can’t Recycle: When practical, send it back to the company & tell them they need to close the waste loop.

Courtesy of LOHAS Journal / Spring 2008