How to Recycle DVD Cases

While the covers/packaging for DVDs is a great sales tool, and may help you organize your DVD collection, the bulky boxes take up a great deal of space. If you want to start storing your DVDs in sleeves, you should do you best to recycle the materials. DVD cases are made of non-biodegradable materials. They will not decompose in a landfill, and destruction by burning is toxic. While it's quite easy to find thrift stores and charities that will take old DVDs off your hands, most of them have no use for the cases alone. But there are a couple of companies that specialize in recycling both the discs and the packaging. You will have to spend a bit of money to ship the packages, but it's the green thing to do.

Things You'll Need

• DVD Cases Mailing Boxes Internet Access

Instructions

1. Collect all the DVD packages you can find. It won't be worth it to mail a couple of cases at a time. You may even want to ask friends and family members if they have any cases they want to recycle.

2. Check the website (see additional resources) to see if you need to sort the materials. If you need to sort, continue to step 3. If you don't, move on to step 9.

3. Start sorting the materials. Remove the inserts, manuals and any other paper-product from the case. Put the paper products aside.

4. If the case is a cardboard and plastic combination, tear off the plastic and keep it with the cases, but put the cardboard part aside with the paper products.

5. If the case is broken or cracked, put it aside to send separately. The recycling center tries to re-sell the cases, and will only break down the materials if absolutely necessary.

6. Put all the intact cases and plastic into a single box, and clearly mark the box "DVD Cases Only."

7. Put all the broken cases into a separate box, and clearly mark the box "Broken DVD Cases Only."

8. Put all the inserts, manuals or other paper product in a separate box and mark it "Paper Only."

9. Send the boxes to the addresses as directed by the website. Using U.S. Media Mail Rates or UPS ground hundred weight is usually the most inexpensive. There's no rush, so just use the cheapest method possible.

10. Note the estimated delivery date. When the delivery date comes around, you may want to place a call to the company to make sure your materials arrived.

References

• Where you can recycle CD & DVD cases

Resources

• CD Recycling Central
• CD Recycling Center of America