A few weeks ago, we discussed the pros and cons of throwing away tapes after a video conversion. But if you do decide to toss your videotapes, should you just throw them into the trash can?
No, you shouldn’t. Plus, if you live in a state that bans e-waste, you legally can’t. Waste from electronics is the fastest-growing source of garbage in the U.S. And while it only accounts for 2% of the trash in landfills, it causes 90% of landfill pollution, which can contain lead, mercury, cadmium, and other harmful chemicals. These chemicals can cause cancer and nervous system damage if they leak out of the landfill. That is why many states have begun banning e-waste from landfills, and requiring the original manufacturers to pay for recycling. A bill on this subject has been introduced in Pennsylvania, and is expected to pass later this year.
So if you can’t throw your tapes or other electronics into the trash, what do you do with them? Luckily, there are a few services out there that are dedicated to relieving you of your old video tapes:
ACT (Alternative Community Training) is a nonprofit organization that has been cleaning, degaussing, and re-packing video tapes since 1991. They then resell their tapes to the public, so this is a great solution if you have a lot of movies on VHS that you want to donate. ACT also provides jobs for disabled people, and so while you have to pay shipping costs, using ACT enables you to recycle your tapes while helping others find employment.
GreenDisk is a well-known service that recycles a variety of e-waste, including computers, print cartridges, and tapes. Visit their website, pay the small fee for a shipping label, and then ship as many video tapes as you can box up to them. They’ll take care of the rest!
E-cycling Central is a website that lists electronic waste recycling services for every state in the U.S. If you want to find a local solution, this is the place to look.
Remember, we recommend that you keep your videotapes unless you are absolutely 100% positive that you want to get rid of them. But if you do make that decision, be part of the solution–and not the growing problem!
