Where Can I Recycle My...
“the starting point for a better world is the belief that it is possible.” —norman cousins, journalist, professor, and world peace advocate
Plastic Bags
Do you have a pile of plastic bags hiding somewhere? Many local grocery stores have a drop-off location for plastic bags. Check with the grocer you frequent, or visit one of the following locations:
- Star Market/Shaw's:
- 1065 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02115, 617-783-5878
- 1717 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02445, 617-566-1802
- 33 Kilmarnock St., Boston, MA 02215, 617-267-4684
- Trader Joe’s:
- 1317 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02446, 617-278-9997
- 748 Memorial Dr., Cambridge, MA 02139, 617-491-8582
- 899 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02115, 617-262-6505
Personal Electronics
Not sure what to do with that old TV now that you have a new high-power HDTV? What about those old lightbulbs? Fortunately, many companies are accepting back their older products for recycling. Sony and Best Buy are just two of the companies that allow you to bring in, drop off, or mail in used electronic equipment.
See a "report card" on major companies' recycling programs, courtesy of The Electronics TakeBack Coalition, or a list of corporate recycling programs from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. If you are unsure how to recycle your electronics, it’s always best to contact the manufacturer for details.
Ever wonder what to do with your old VHS tapes? Keep them from ending up in a landfill by sending them to Alternative Community Training, a nonprofit Missouri company that provides jobs to people with disabilities. Workers erase the tapes, resell the ones that are in good shape, and recycle the plastic parts of the rest. They've recycled more than 1 million tapes so far! Mail tapes (at the cheaper USPS media mail rate) to ACT, 2200 Burlington, Columbia, MO 65202. (Information thanks to Arianne Cohen at WomansDay.com.
Other organizations have formed specifically to facilitate electronics recycling, such as:
These sites list local recycling drop-off centers, advertise recycling events, and tell you what can and cannot be recycled. Although it may take a few extra steps to recycle your electronics and gadgets, the toxins prevented from going into landfills as the equipment decays will help secure the environment and humanity’s longevity.
Catalogs
The easiest way to recycle catalogs is not to have them delivered in the first place. If you receive unwanted catalogs, canceling them saves on trees, printing, recycling efforts, and landfill space. Fourth-grade students at The Park School are challenging you to cancel your catalog subscriptions. The students instruct you on how to do this in The Catalog Canceling Challenge. You can also visit CatalogChoice.org for more information.