Books: Donate First
Books in good condition have clear donation destinations: public library book sales, used bookstores (many pay cash or store credit), Little Free Libraries, school classroom libraries, senior centers, hospitals, and prisons (check restrictions — some facilities limit what they accept).
Thrift stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army) accept most books. Specialty charities like Books for Africa and Room to Read collect books for international distribution.
Books for Recycling
Paperback books can be recycled with mixed paper — just toss them in the paper recycling bin. Hardcover books require preparation: tear or cut off the covers (which have a different binding and paper quality than the pages), then recycle the pages as paper. The hard covers typically go in regular trash due to their composite material construction.
CDs and DVDs
CDs and DVDs are made of polycarbonate (#7 plastic) plus an aluminum reflective layer — not accepted in most curbside programs. Options:
• GreenDisk and CDs for Schools accept CDs/DVDs for specialized recycling • Some electronics take-back programs accept optical media • CD cases (#5 or #6 polypropylene) can sometimes be recycled with plastics • Intact discs can be sold secondhand (Decluttr, eBay) if titles have value
For large quantities of corporate media (software disks, training materials), specialized media destruction and recycling companies offer secure disposal with documentation.
Cassette Tapes and VHS
These obsolete formats contain magnetic tape in plastic housings — difficult to recycle. GreenDisk accepts them. The plastic housing can sometimes be recycled as mixed plastic. The magnetic tape itself typically goes to waste.
Items with sentimental value can be converted to digital format before disposal — many services digitize home videos and audio recordings.