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Tech: recycling old tapes
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Tech: recycling old tapes |
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Subject: BS: recycling old tapes,etc From: Hollowfox Date: 26 Jan 13 - 01:35 PM Is there any way to dispose of old reel-to-reel tapes, cassettes, videocassettes computer floppy discs,cds and dvds? Besides putting them in a landfill, I mean. |
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Subject: RE: BS: recycling old tapes From: Bill D Date: 26 Jan 13 - 03:33 PM It will depend on where you live. Major urban areas often have more choices. here is the guide from the area I live, which as 'about' as complete a system as there is. here is a link to plasitcs, which lists jewel cases FROM CDs as not acceptable. I can't find anything specific about tapes. |
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Subject: RE: BS: recycling old tapes From: Bill D Date: 26 Jan 13 - 03:35 PM Of course, there are still a few folks who use those items... maybe Craigslist or something... |
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Subject: RE: BS: recycling old tapes From: JohnInKansas Date: 26 Jan 13 - 03:40 PM The reels for your reel-to-reel tapes probably are recyclable if you take the tapes off them first. Most of the rest of the stuff is too "mixed" (separating metal from plastic would be too much trouble) to be recycled, although you might ask your local scavengers to see there's anything that they'll take. The parania enforcement people recommend that CDs/DVDs that might have any "personal information" on them should probably just be shredded (maybe after you've salvaged any of the 40% that might be readable after a few years?) but cheaper shredders - that don't have a CD/DVD slot (and some that do) - don't much care for that recommendation since it makes their teeth hurt. My recyclers won't take anything that's been through a shredder, so they're just landfill if I apply that suggestion. It's possible that some (especially small) libraries might have an interest in some commercial music/video recordings, but the ones in our area have only been willing to take very small numbers and are very selective in what they'll accept. You might make a few pennies off a few commercial recordings at a yard sale, but they're not really "big movers" in our experience. Music/Video recordings can be parceled out to "friends," and if they're good enough friends they may not comment that you're foisting bunches of junk on them (Lin and her sister-in-law do a lot of such book/video trading, but Lin doesn't notice when I trash most of what her s.i.l. sneaks into the back of her truck when they get together, since she didn't really want most of it anyway.) It ain't easy bein' green within this area, but I'll watch for better suggestions here. John |
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Subject: RE: BS: recycling old tapes From: GUEST,999 Date: 27 Jan 13 - 12:46 PM Use the tape to knit with. Used the plastic and metal screws to recycle. |
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Subject: RE: BS: recycling old tapes From: Bill D Date: 27 Jan 13 - 01:18 PM ah! A knit-wit! |
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Subject: RE: BS: recycling old tapes From: GUEST,999 Date: 27 Jan 13 - 02:10 PM Clever. I'll getcha for that, Bill. |
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Subject: RE: BS: recycling old tapes From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 Jan 13 - 04:18 PM This afternoon I've been stacking up old VCR tapes, discarded if I have a DVD of same or can stream to content from someplace. The pile is growing and I'm also planning to do something responsible with all of this plastic and magnetic tape if possible. I found a site called GreenDisk that handles all sorts of technotrash. The GreenDisk Technotrash Pack-IT Service is designed to meet the recycling needs of individuals and organizations that accumulate small amounts of technotrash. Concerns about data security and environmental responsibility are met by our well-defined recycling procedures and comprehensive audit trail. It looks like you pay the fee upfront for the processing before packing and shipping in your own box. $9.95 for the first 25 pounds and .35 each additional pound in any given box.
This is all media, so you can ship at the lowest USPS price. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: recycling old tapes From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 Jan 13 - 04:31 PM And here's another one at Back Thru The Future. The magnetic tape isn't recyclable, but the case and bits inside are. And yet one more. This said, there is a nagging little voice in the back of my head that says "don't throw it all away. It's one of the most durable methods around, even better still that CD and DVD." I've read about archival DVDs, the "100 year" variety, and in the last week or two I read about some kind of breakthrough. But there is also this 2004 article that makes a pretty good case for the lack of 100-year disc media. Wherever it was I read last week, I did the math and they were about fifty cents a piece. I don't know if they had any gold in them as seems to be what passes for archival disks in a search I did this afternoon. I'm sure JiK will come along and sort out some of this. :) SRS |
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Subject: RE: Tech: recycling old tapes From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 Jan 13 - 06:42 PM I packed up a bunch of VCR tapes, probably something under 100, and they weigh 25 pounds in the box. $9.95 to GreenDisk and $13 to the post office via media mail will have it out of the house, but it doesn't belong in the landfill. The other sites I linked to are more complicated. The ecycler one is unfathomable. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Tech: recycling old tapes From: JohnInKansas Date: 28 Jan 13 - 01:17 PM We do have a local drop for electronic equipment of all kinds, with the only restriction being that "there's no wood on it." Computers, TVs, Recorders, and such can be dropped off with them. There are numerous US places listed as "eCyclers," and at least one bunch appears to be a fairly widespread single "company;" but the name appears to be used by more than one. The local one used to show as eCyclers in the phone book, but has changed its name recently, so maybe someone is trying to capture that one with an ®. "Electronics Recyclers" appear to be available within reasonable distance in most places in the US, but their advertising suggests that there is a lot of difference in how thoroughly they separate the recyclable bits, and for some a fairly large percentage of the incoming may still go to the landfill. You might be reassured by the simple principle that they probably know (better than you?) what's recyclable and what's just trash. For storage devices and media, I've always felt more secure if I could remove anything that might be "personal" before it leaves my hands, but writing all the bits to a 1T hard drive can take a couple of hours (or more) and for "Tempest Secure" (an old US Federal Standard that does reasonably assure everything's gone) you have to write all the bits five times using different bits, which could take several days (or weeks?). "Deleting" a file is useless, since recovering the entire file is trivially simple. A "full format" is a little better, but still only "more resistant" to recovery. And of course you can't do anything much if the drive won't spin. I usually resort to the technique called "biggest hammer you've got" for the "sensitive" ones; but hard drives can be remarkably difficult to strip down to what you have to hit. They put 'em together real good - even the ones that don't last very long. Some of the recyclers that have advertised "complete data removal" have not done what they claim, according to reports. Checking reputations is of some importance if you want data removal and prefer to let the 'cycler do it for you. John |
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Subject: RE: Tech: recycling old tapes From: GUEST,mg Date: 28 Jan 13 - 05:29 PM I will be looking for large quantities of blank CDs and blank cassettes (or we could rerecord on newer used ones) and old MP3 players etc. for the lullaby CD project. I am not really totally ready..actually what would be great if is others could record copies and mail them media mail in US to various places...PM me for insights (yours, I don't have too many yet). |
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Subject: RE: Tech: recycling old tapes From: Stilly River Sage Date: 28 Jan 13 - 08:56 PM There is nothing "data" about these, they're recorded off of television over the years. I'm going to call campus before I pay for anything, to see if they have a bulk recycling setup for this. Usually individuals who work on campus can bring things from home to recycle along with all of the university techno-trash. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Tech: recycling old tapes From: Joe Offer Date: 29 Jan 13 - 02:38 AM Instead of using toilet paper to "TP" your neighbor's house, use recording tape. Much more durable.... |
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Subject: RE: Tech: recycling old tapes From: JohnInKansas Date: 29 Jan 13 - 03:26 AM Yeah Joe, but tape sticks together so you can pull it down in strips. If the dew gets on the TP it don't hang together 'nuff to pull it off, and you have to wipe and wad. Common approach with TP is a sweeper nozzle on a garden hose, but even after you knock it down ya gotta mop it up (if it's installed right). John |
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Subject: RE: Tech: recycling old tapes From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 Jan 13 - 12:44 PM One doesn't see strands of cassette tape blowing beside the road that often now. And not so many cracked CDs, now that mp3 players and iPhones and all of that are for music storage. I didn't mail the box yet, deciding first to check with the recycling folks on campus. They'll do an event for Earth Day on April 17 where they will collect this stuff. I think I'll set this box in the pickup and let it roll around back there until then. I called and she said they'll do the same thing this other company will do, but without a fee or shipping. :) Otherwise, I'd go through that first site and get rid of these. SRS |
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