- ALUMINUM FOIL
Aluminum is very easily recycled.
When you drop a can into your recy-
cling bin today, it can be back in your
pantry as part of a new can in 60 days,
reports the Aluminum Association.
Unfortunately, we throw away enough
foil each year to build a fleet of aircraft.
Many cities recycle foil right alongside
cans. Just wash it, crumple it into a
ball, and drop it into your bin. Better
yet, use it for your next leftovers.
2. ATHLETIC SHOES
less shelter, to a school program, or to
oneworldrunning.com, which will pass
them along to needy athletes around
the world. If yours are really wrecked,
get them to Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe pro-
gram, which will turn them into running
tracks, turf fields, gym floors, and play-
ground surfaces. Just drop off beat-up
sneakers (any brand) at a Nike store.
3. BATTERIES
Batteries are made from metals such
as lithium and cadmium, which can
pollute soil and water and harm
wildlife (and humans). Rechargeable batteries are especially hazardous.
4. COMPACT FLUORESCENT BULBS
You should never throw these light
bulbs into the trash. Broken bulbs con-
tain potentially toxic levels of mercury,
which can seep into the ground and
contaminate the water supply. Fortu-
nately, compact fluorescent bulbs can
last for years.
5. CRAYONS
You can send broken and stubby cray-
ons to the National Crayon Recycle
Program, where they will be melted
down into new ones. Leave the wrap-
pers on, if possible (otherwise, it’s hard
to tell black from blue from purple).
6. INK AND TONER CARTRIDGES
Used printer cartridges will take more
than 1,000 years to decompose in a
landfill, according to tonerrecycle.net.
Too bad that’s where up to 80 percent
of them wind up. Some can be refilled;
look on the package to see.
7. PAINT
Don’t dump cans with paint left in
them—the contents could be toxic.
You might donate your leftovers; start
with your local community theater or
school drama programs. Water-based
paint can be recycled and turned into
new paint.
8. TOYS
Project Smile (projectsmile.org) and
Stuffed Animals for Emergencies
(stuffedanimalsforemergencies.org)
give donated toys to children in trau-
matic or emergency situations. Project
Night Night (projectnightnight.org)
tucks them into care packages
for homeless youngsters. Second
Chance Toys (secondchancetoys.org)
keeps still-working plastic toys out
of landfills by giving them to children
in need.
9. TVS
Thrift stores generally don’t want
TVs, as the old dinosaurs won’t sell.
Environmental laws block TVs from
landfills; they must be deconstructed
at special facilities. You can drop off
small sets at Office Depot stores, and if
Best Buy delivers your new TV.
10. WINE CORKS
Most corks are made from the bark
tissue of woody plants, so you can toss
them into a compost bin. If you have
a lot, you can send them to Yemm &
Hart, a company that turns old corks
into new floor tiles and other items.