What do you do with?People keep asking me what to do with un-recyclable items. Below is an ongoing list of items I've been asked about and the best solutions I could find. Please contact me at if you have other items to add to the list and/or if you have good solutions. Try http://earth911.org/ for an interactive link to where to recycle a variety of items in your area. Another fun website with good recycling tips is http://www.idealbite.com/. 
| Old Clothes and shoes | You can donate old clothes and shoes to your local thrift shop or Goodwill. The Goodwill has a program for your not-so-good clothes, they donate them to poor countries. You can also make rags out of some items. |
| Old floppy disks | Try being creative and making crafts out of your old floppy disks. I haven't had to dispose of any myself but I found this page on treehugger.com http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/diy_recycling_f.php |
| broken appliances | Large appliances with lots of metal, like the fridge, freezer, stove, and water heaters can be taken to a scrap metal yard. You might need to remove the CFC's (coolants) first though. (Not sure what to do with that stuff.) Some small repair shops might take other broken appliances for parts. Lastly, there seems to be a number of companies sprouting up that will take your appliances but they are not available everywhere so you'll need to search your area. I couldn't find any in Missouri. |
| outdated/broken computers | Once a year we have a local organization in our area that takes all computers and parts. Look in your area for something similar. |
| batteries | Best Buy and RadioShak will take some old batteries. |
| motor oil | Wal-mart, Jiffy Lube, and Autozone will all take your used motor oil. |
| used deodorant & toothpaste containers | I haven't found a source for your old deodorant and toothpaste containers but there are a few companies now starting to make deodorant and toothpaste in recyclable containers. Crest and Colgate both have some products in recyclable containers. The only deodorant I've found so far in recyclable containers have been organic brands. |
| toothbrushes | You can always use your used toothbrushes as small cleaning brushes, good for cleaning grout joints or small tools. Here's a link to a fun craft project where you can see how to make a bracelet from an old toothbrush: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/373890/toothbrush_bracelet.html |
| plastic bags | Wal-mart and many grocery stores will take plastic bags, dry-cleaning bags, plastic wrap from paper products, and basically any "clean" plastic wrap that was not used as food packaging. |
| styrofoam | You can clean it, break it into peices and use it as packaging. You can save it and when you have a large supply, ask around and find a store which will collect and reuse it. You can also use it as insulation material to cover cracks in windows in winter. Most importantly, try to avoid purchasing it again. |
cell phones, PDA, Blackberry, & pagers | Visit Ripmobile.com and print out a free shipping label for your old electronic commuications device. They will send you money if it is still in working condition, if not, they will recycle it free of charge. |