How to Dispose of Old Cassette Tapes

VHS tapes, cassette tapes, reel-to-reel...what do you do when you've updated everything at home to the latest media, or your company is finally getting rid of those ancient training tapes? There's always the trash, but is the landfill the best place for these things?

Plastics in the landfill can take up to 1000 years to degrade, and some materials can leach chemicals into the soil and then on to the groundwater. And along with the time it takes to degrade, all those plastics are taking up space, leaving less space for biodegradable items.

There are other ways of recycling those items. The article below lists some ways to reuse, recycle or properly dispose of all those tapes.

Things You'll Need

• Cassettes, VHS tapes, reel-to-reel tapes

Instructions

1. You can make something with your old tapes, if you're creative. There is a link included in Resources to a site that shows how to crochet with video tapes, along with a link that explains how to prepare tapes for crocheting. And if you're in a very green mood, you could even crochet a bag to take to the market and make a fashion statement along with an environmental one.

2. You can donate the tapes to shelters, daycare facilities or elder care facilities, if the tapes are still worth viewing. Check first to make sure they have the capability to play tapes and have the need for them.

3. Try Craigslist or Freecycle to sell or give your tapes to someone else. A quick Google search can also uncover similar groups in your area. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

4. Recycling is another option. Greendisk is a recycling site that accepts old VHS tapes. You do need to pay for shipping; however, if you have lots of tapes, particularly in a business setting, it may be an option for disposing of them.

   Another form of recycling are are companies that resell erased tapes. Look into community organizations that might accept old cassette tapes. Resources has a link to a site in Virginia, Alternative Recycling & Employment, that takes used tapes, erases them and sells them as blank tapes for such uses as security tapes.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure there aren't any treasured family memories on those tapes. Review them before you get rid of them, and transfer any important images to another form of media.

• If you're not going to pass along movies for others to view, you can recycle the cardboard cases.

• If you really are going to throw your tapes in the trash, at least make them less of a hazard to wildlife by cutting the tapes into short lengths. The long strands of tape that escape the cases can easily tangle in the feet and around the necks of birds that frequent landfills.

• Remove any personal or sensitive data before you dispose of your tapes. Recycling facilities do degauss tapes before hand, but it's better to be safe than sorry with personal or confidential information.

• Remember that almost all techno-trash needs to stay out of landfills. In some states, such as California, it's illegal to put television sets or computers in the trash to be sent to a landfill. Cathode ray tubes contain lead, which can leach into the soil and subsequently into groundwater.

Resources

• Crochet with VHS Tape
• Green Disk Recycling
• Alternative Community Training
• Freecycle Network
• Craigslist
• How to Donate Old Computers