Spring Cleaning? Recycle All Your Old Junk

If you’re fed-up with all the stuff you throw-away during spring cleaning, let me shed some light on items you never knew are recyclable, so you can reduce the junk that  goes into your can.

FYI – for your regular recyclables, check out this City Renewed post on recycling in the DC metro area.

1. Batteries: You can drop off dead batteries for recycling at Radio Shack, Verizon, AT&T, Office Depot, Apple Stores, Fed-Ex and more. To find the nearest DC drop-off location go HERE.
2. Cell Phones: Clear your call history before you drop off, you don’t want anybody knowing how often you call mom. Recycle cell phones and help our troops by going HERE. Cell Phones for Soldiers provides drop-off points, a mailing address, data clearing software and more.
3. Ink Jet Cartridges & Printer Toner: These things pile up very quickly. Don’t just toss them into the garbage. You can have them refilled or donate them to a good cause like Recycling Appeal.
4. Sneakers: I know its tough to part with your fav pair. To make it easier, Nike is accepting those used sneakers to make new athletic surfaces for community playgrounds in New Orleans and other struggling neighborhoods. Go HERE for drop-off points and mailing addresses.
5. Dry Cleaning Hangers & Plastic Wrap: Its so nice to pick-up your dry cleaning when its all shiny in that clear plastic wrap. That excitement wears off pretty quickly. Bring back the plastic and extra hangers to your dry cleaner, they’ll reuse them and stop those…”NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!” moments.
6. Computers & Technology: This is called E-Waste and it contains mercury and other toxins that can seep into water supplies and contribute to childhood diseases. You can recycle e-waste in DC by going to one of the drop-off points on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. The sites are located at 3200 Benning Road, NE and 4900 Bates Road, NE.

So there you go, some other options other than the trash can for getting rid of that extra garbage around your house. You’ll feel better knowing it is being reused or recycled rather than dumped. Be creative with a lot of your trash, you never know who else might see value in it.

Photo Credit: Flickr user waffler