How Can We Recycle Old Cassette Tapes?
Posted on May 6, 2009 by
I’m getting ready to move, which means I’ve started the unholy task of packing. Boy, do I hate packing. I do my best to keep down the amount of clutter in my home, not only because it’s eco-friendly to buy less stuff, but also because I cannot stand junk lying around. Still, it feels like I have a lot of stuff when I try to pack and move it all.
I was cleaning out a closet the other day and came across some cassette tapes from a certain few ’80s bands WHO SHALL REMAIN NAMELESS. Admit it; you know you enjoyed some terrible music in your formative years, too. After I finished trying to remember the numerous dance routines I made up in my backyard to these gems, I decided I should get rid of ye olde technology.
Which brings me to my question: Does anyone out there know a place that will recycle cassette tapes? I don’t want to throw them in the trash, but I’ve looked online and I’m having trouble finding someone who will take them. I’m willing to send them someplace in the mail if there’s no place to recycle them locally. They’re not just tapes I bought with my allowance back in the day; there’s a few mixed tapes in there too.
While we’re at it, I also have a bunch of old floppy disks. Remember when computers had disk drives? Ahh, those were the days. Anyway, I’d also appreciate any suggestions on places to recycle those.
Okay, fine. I have Genesis tapes, okay? I liked “I Can’t Dance” when I was 10. You may now commence mocking.
I have “I can’t dance” on cassette single. I am physically unable to part with it, so I don’t have an answer for your question.
Dunno about recycling but I have reuse for ya. Find a preschool. Cassette tape makes great puppet hair!
You might find these pages useful on our site, Recycle This:
How can I reuse or recycle cassette tapes?
and
How can I reuse or recycle floppy discs?
We’ve had LOTS of reuse suggestions for both – and related items like floppy disc boxes and video tapes.
And iirc, there are people collecting both items if you don’t fancy reusing them yourself.
The first album I ever bought with my own money was Tiffany’s self-titled debut, so I am in no position whatsoever to judge your Genesis love.
The puppet hair suggestion cracks me up.
I had I Can’t Dance too. And probably still do, in the basement in a box, along with Bobby Brown, Milli Vanilli, and Paul Abdul.
I love the puppet idea – I know there’s a bunch of places that collect random things to be reused as art supplies. http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/REuse/Links/Art.htm A friend of mine used to work at one in Oregon.
What’s wrong with Genesis – they’re awesome!
I’m a Jon Bon Jovi fan
Hell, I love everything ’80s and cheesy, and that includes Dirty Dancing.
As for the question of how to recycle them: contact Best Buy or some other electronics realtor. They’ll probably be able to point you in the right direction. Alternatively, I’m pretty sure local colleges have tech-recycling programs of some sort; it may cost you to piggyback, but I don’t think they’ll mind.
Dance routines! YES!! I totally remember making up routines to songs. If only I could actually remember the steps…
It looks like http://www.greendisk.com/ is the only viable solution. Thanks for posting this I needed to find a way to dispose of my old cassettes as well… Sorry no titles will be given up;-)
Robert
I had “I Can’t Dance” on cd…but I had a cd player at an early age. 12? 13? I still have tons of old tapes and never really thought about what to do with them. Some I can’t replace as they were demos for bands or obscure albums from bands that I can’t find on cd or as an mp3 but I have some that were just mixes for listening to in the car.
You can also contact your local recycling agency for your area. I know my city recycler takes old computers and discs, they may takes cassette tapes as well.
I’m pretty sure I have ‘I Can’t Dance’ as a cassette single, but we all know I have no shame in admitting my music tastes. I actually have a box of stuff I was going to try to send to that Green Disk company that Robert mentioned because they’ll take so many different kinds.
Mock, mock, mock, mock, mock, mock, MOCK, mock, mock!
I can’t help you here. Wait- shouldn’t YOU be the one telling ME where to recycle these things? Good luck on your quest.
Iloveschools.com is a great place to donate lots of things — you can search for a needy school that needs whatever item you have, including floppy disks and such.
[...] – lamps, more lamps, furniture, ties, and art that impresses. It seems like there are lots of bloggers out there who don’t want their cassettes in a landfill, but very few people with concrete recycling [...]