Recycling CDs, DVDs, audio, and video cassettes

 

CDCDs, audio and video cassettes are made almost entirely out of plastic.  Recycling plastic is good for the environment. According to a 2001 Environment Agency report, 80% of post-consumer plastic waste is sent to landfill, 8% is incinerated and only 7% is recycled. Recycling plastic can has several advantages:

  • Conservation of non-renewable fossil fuels - Plastic production uses 8% of the world's oil production, 4% as feedstock and 4% during manufacture.
  • Reduced consumption of energy.
  • Reduced amounts of solid waste going to landfill.
  • Reduced emissions of carbon-dioxide (CO2), nitrogen-oxide (NO) and sulfur-dioxide (SO2).

Repair

Damaged CDs and DVDs can be repaired so repair or reuse is the best environmental choice. You have some chance of repairing small numbers of obvious scratches with a mild abrasive such as toothpaste. Work only on the non-label side with strokes moving out from the center. Professional restorers such as AuralTech CD Refinishing will repair disks for $3 each and guarantee the results.

Reuse

If you just don't like the CDs, DVDs, audio, and video cassettes, give or trade them at a music store or donate them to charity. There are lots of charities in Concord from which to choose. A few are:

Association for Retarded Citizens Contra Costa (ARC)
3437 Chestnut Avenue, Concord, 94519
(925) 686-0324

Clausen House
1653 Willow Pass Road, Concord, 94520
(925) 680-0878

Goodwill Stores
3495 Clayton Road, Concord, 94519
(925) 676-8140

Hope Chest
4609 Clayton Road, Concord, 94521
(925) 825-5516

Hospice and Palliative Care of Contra Costa - Anna's Attic
5350 Clayton Road, Concord, 94521
(925) 674-9072

Hospice Thrift Shoppe
1450 Monument Boulevard, Concord, 94520
(925) 685-7360

Recycle

Tape cassettesThe plastic in unrepairable CDs, DVDs, audio and video casettes and cases can be recycled. Reprocessors remove the data layer of CDs and DVDs and reuse the plastic disc. Recordable CD-Rs or CD-RWs each have about 20mg of gold that can be recovered. If you are worried about proprietary data, you can cut the disks in half. There are several companies that specialize in recycling CDs, audio and video cassettes:

Ecodisk
888-797-7638
Mail back program for diskettes, CDs, DVDs, tapes.
Pickup is available in some locations.  Call for details.

GreenDisk
800-305-3457
Mail back program for audio tapes, video tapes, CDs, DVDs, laser disks, diskettes

MRC Polymers
773-890-9000
Mail back program for CDs, DVDs, jewel cases, laser disks

Eco Media Recycling Center
800-959-5156 ext 256
Mail back program for audio tapes, video tapes

Super Link Plastic, Oakland
510-568-1086
CDs and DVDs in large quantities.  Call for appointment.

MBA Polymers, Richmond
510-231-9031
CDs and DVDs in large quantities.  Call for appointment.

Polymer Recovery Services, Santa Clara
408-748-9715
CDs and DVDs in large quantities.  Call for appointment.

GB Industrial, Union City
510-489-0881
CDs, DVDs, and Laser disks in large quantities.  Call for appointment.