Who is Going To Recycle My Toaster?

A reader writes The Green Guide:

Where can small electronics items, such as hair dryers, toasters, Walkmen, and blenders, be recycled?

The Green Guide responds:

The good news is many unconventional items can be recycled. The bad news is you might have to pay for shipping or by the pound if you bring them in yourself. That's why many of the companies listed below cater to corporate clients, which can more efficiently handle the logistics involved. However, if you follow their guidelines, the companies should be glad to recycle for you. Here are some general tips and specific options.

-For an extensive database of local and national recyclers, sorted by item and zip code, try www.earth911.org.

-Before shipping any recyclable, be sure to call the company to confirm packaging, labeling, and fees.

-Local is better than national. For many of these unconventional items, recycling is relatively inefficient, and the environmental cost of shipping may actually counteract the gain of recycling. Before shipping a TV, computer part, or other appliance, contact your community's recycling department and inquire—they might do curbside pickup by special arrangement, or know of a local recycler.

-You won't have much luck recycling small appliances, though check with your local recycling office. Ask your local repair shop if they're interested in your broken electronic equipment for its spare parts. Remember that you can always donate working electronics and functional furniture to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or other charitable organizations.

Televisions, computers

Many of the sites below only specifically mention computer recycling, but earth911.org says they take TVs, too. They're geared toward corporate recycling, but if you take care of shipping, they should be happy to work with you. Call to confirm what they accept.

Surplus Buyers, in Texas, (www.surplusbuy.com, 888-413-3180) charges $25 to recycle a television, and also recycles computer equipment.

United Recycling, in Chicago, charges $27.99 (includes prepaid shipping) to recycle a box of computer equipment (also, modems and fax machines). Only residents of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa qualify. (www.unitedrecycling.com/takeback/main.html, 800-270-8220)

PC Disposal, in Kansas, charges from $10 to $40 to recycle various computer items, including printers, monitors, and docking stations(pcdisposal.com/consumer_pcdisposal.htm, 877-244-0250)

Glasses

Many opticians collect old glasses for reuse by the needy, as does the national Lions Club (www.lionsclub.org). Chain stores, including LensCrafters, For Eyes, and Pearle, do as well.

Smoke detectors

Ionization smoke alarms contain a small amount of radioactive material, so if your smoke detector happens to be one it's important to dispose of them properly. Return them to the manufacturer, or check with your local recycling office to see if they run a collection program.

Carpet

If you're buying a new carpet, ask your installer about recycling your old carpet. DuPont runs a carpet removal and recycling ("reclamation") program called Invista. While normally reclamation accompanies a new purchase, if you're willing to pay they might take your carpet without purchase. Find a location near you at www.theinvironmentalists.com, or call 877-746-8476,

CDs, DVDs, tapes, disks, etc.

Green Disk, in Missouri, accepts floppy disks; CDs, CDRs, CDRWs, DVDs, and jewel cases; video and audio tapes and cases; printer cartridges; and cell phones, pagers, and PDAs. It charges $0.15 a pound (with a minimum of $5), and you pay shipping. (800-305-DISK, greendisk.com)

EcoMedia will take medium-large quantities of VHS tapes (100+), CDs (200+), and other magnetic media free of charge, with free shipping. (ecomedia.com, 800-359-4601)

NE-SAR Systems, in Pennsylvania, accepts CDs and DVDs without packaging (724-827-8172)

Staples stores accept batteries, cell phones, printer cartridges, PDAs, and pagers.