Unsure of where to recycle some of the most common everyday items? Here are 100 different EASY ways to recycle beyond your home recycling bin!
Recycling Should Be Last
Let me start by saying this: Recycling is one of the last options in a sustainable lifestyle that will help stop the massive amounts of pollution we create each day. In reality, the most sustainable solution to our climate change, global warming, and pollution issues require a complete mindset shift. To make the biggest difference, we can no longer consume the same amount of things that we currently do. Cutting back on the types of items we buy and how much of the things we buy will have the greatest impact.
Related article: Everyday Recycling Resources
However, the reality is that zero waste and even low waste is currently far from achievable for everyone. Heck, there are places that don’t have access to recycling. Thus, it’s not far-fetched to assume that if some places don’t offer recycling, they don’t offer many sustainable purchasing options, either. Besides that, the truth is that a lot of recycling facilities end up trashing a lot of what little we do end up placing in our recycling bins. Learning to recycle properly, committing to recycling, and then committing to use less of what needs to be recycled should be the ultimate goal.
Quick Recycling Facts:
- 9/10 of all solid waste in the United States does not get recycled. – source
- Although 75% of America’s waste is recyclable, we only recycle around 30% of it. – source
- “When U.S. recycling levels reach 75% it will generate 1.5 million new jobs in the U.S. (net).” – source
- recycling some materials, like no. 6 plastic, is dangerous because the chemicals that they release could harm workers and people close to the source – source
- The leading countries for recycling rates are: (#1) Switzerland [52%] (#2) Australia [49.7%] (#3) Germany [48%] (#4) Netherlands [46%] and (#5) Norway [40%]. The United States comes in around 31.5%. – source
So Start With What You Have
As the wise quote goes, “To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe. For many, recycling is one of the best options that is available. Recycling may be one of the only options that some people have. Also, as stated above, some people don’t even have the luxury to recycle locally in the municipality where they live. So, let’s talk about recycling outside of the home and more products than what your city offers to recycle. Here are 100+ places and ways to recycle beyond your home recycling bins.
100+ Places & Ways to Recycle
Categories:
- Kitchen, Personal Care, & Household
- Makeup
- Clothing
- Electronics, Media, & Batteries
- Children’s Items
- Plastic Bags
- Recycling Companies & Databases
Kitchen, Personal Care, & Household Items
Despite being able to recycle glass, metal, and paper in most municipalities, there are a lot of materials in homes that can’t be recycled in the bins. Nevertheless, they are ABLE to be recycled. Together with bin recycling mail-in recycling, can make a huge difference in the world.
1. Whole Foods
Recyclable Items Accepted: used oil, plastic bags, Brita recycling program.
2. Lowe’s
Recyclable Items Accepted: compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs – those typically used in homes, often spiral in shape), rechargeable batteries, cell phones, and plastic bags.
3. Brita
Recyclable Items Accepted: water filters, bottles, etc.
4. Gimme 5
Recyclable Items Accepted: toothbrushes, and #5 plastics such as Brita water filters.
5. Tom’s of Maine (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: Tom’s of Maine product containers.
6. Target
Recyclable Items Accepted: old car seats, target recycling stations (visit a target to verify if they still do this, or call); trash, plastic bags, aluminum, glass, plastic, small electronics (iPods/mp3s & cell phones), and ink cartridges.
7. Earthborn Holistic Retail Recycling Program (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: recycle Earthborn Holistic & Venture packaging for pet food and pet treats packaging (if the program is full, get on the waiting list!).
8. ONE by ONE Recycling Program by Bausch + Lomb
Recyclable Items Accepted: contact lenses, blister packs, foil (free).
9. White Leaf Provisions (Terracycle)
Mail-in recycling program for White Leaf Provisions food pouches.
10. Ikea
Recyclable Items Accepted: Mattresses for approximately a $25 USD fee, and a typical cardboard and plastic in-store recycling bin.
11. Home for Foam
Recyclable Items Accepted: Foam #6.
It is important note that items such as styrofoam and foam food containers have an estimates <1% recycling rate. It is better that you avoid foam when possible.
12. Mom’s Organic Market
Recyclable Items Accepted: bar wrappers, batteries, Brita filters, cellphones, compost, drink pouches, food squeeze pouches, glasses, health and beauty packaging, natural cork, plastic, shoes, and snack bags, as well as annual denim and holiday lights recycling drives.
13. Honest Kids (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: aluminum and plastic drink pouches and the straws that come with them.
14. Big Y
Recyclable Items Accepted: prescription bottles, prescription vials.
15. Arm & Hammer + Oxiclean (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: Arm & Hammer and Oxiclean plastic pouches.
16. Backpacker’s Pantry (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: Backpacker’s Pantry flexible envelopes.
17. Clif Bar (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: energy bar wrappers.
18. Lush
Recyclable Items Accepted: Lush pots.
19. Barilla (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: Barilla Ready Pasta pouches.
20. Bear Naked (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: Bear Naked packaging.
21. Buddy Fruits (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: Buddy Fruits envelopes.
22. Plastic Film Recycling
Recyclable Items Accepted: plastic bags and wraps.
23. Burt’s Bees (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: Burt’s Bees branded personal care, lip care, and beauty care packaging.
24. Cigarette Waste (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: extinguished cigarette butts, cigarette filters, loose tobacco pouches, rolling paper, inner foil packaging, outer plastic packaging.
Now y’all know you shouldn’t be smoking – it’s bad for your health and the health of anyone around you. But if you’re smoking, you should recycle the remains.
25. Colgate Oral Care (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and tops, and floss containers.
26. Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Recyclable Items Accepted: latex paint. Search online or call and ask in order to see if your local Habitat for Humanity Restore offers these recycling services.
27. Colgate Wisp (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: Colgate Wisp mini-brushes and their packaging.
28. ReCORK
Recyclable Items Accepted: NATURAL cork.
29. Snack Bags (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: family sized snack bags, individual snack bags, and multipack snack bags
30. Matthew 25 Ministries
Recyclable Items Accepted: prescription and over-the-counter pill bottles of all sizes, with or without tops.
31. Publix
Recyclable Items Accepted: prescription and over-the-counter pill bottles of all sizes, with or without tops, plastic and paper bags, and foam trays and egg cartons.
32. Republic Sharps
Recyclable Items Accepted: home-generated medical waste.
Makeup
Makeup, in addition to the containers that it comes in, are recyclable! Likewise, some companies uniquely reuse the makeup containers for positive purposes.
33. lilah b.
Recyclable Items Accepted: empty makeup containers and unwanted beauty products from any brand.
34. Kiehl’s
Recyclable Items Accepted: Kiehl’s product packaging. Full sized products will count towards their Recycle & Be Rewarded program.
35. Back to M•A•C
Rcyclable Items Accepted: M•A•C product packaging.
36. Wands for Wildlife
Recyclable Items Accepted: Send in your used mascara wands and they’ll be used to help rescued wildlife that has been injured or orphaned. After being thoroughly cleaned, the wands will be used to remove fly eggs and larva from the animals’ fur.
37. CHEMWISE
Recyclable Items Accepted: old nail polish and nail polish bottles, makeup powder, laboratory chemicals, mercury, batteries, electronics, glass, and fluorescent lamps.
38. Origins
Recyclable Items Accepted: empty cosmetic containers from any brand.
39. Garnier (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: empty cosmetic containers from any brand.
Clothing
When you recycle clothes, the fabric and materials can be turned into products such as insulation for homes, and they can even be given to someone who desperately needs them after a little repair.
40. HM
Recyclable Items Accepted: clothes.
41. Nike Reuse-a-Shoe
Recyclable Items Accepted: turns old shoes into material for things like running tracks and playgrounds.
42. Blue Jeans Go Green by Cotton
Recyclable Items Accepted: Denim.
43. Clothes the Loop by North Face
Recyclable Items Accepted: used apparel (clothes and shoes) from any brand.
44. Men’s Wearhouse
Recyclable Items Accepted: men’s suits are accepted in their national and annual “Drive to Succeed” Suit Drive.
45. Planet Aid
Recyclable Items Accepted: clothes.
46. Levi (i:co)
Recyclable Items Accepted: denim jeans.
47. Re-Spun by Marine Layer
Recyclable Items Accepted: t-shirts.
48. Madewell
Recyclable Items Accepted: denim recycling program.
49. RENEW by Eileen Fisher
Recyclable Items Accepted: any clothing items. They also re-sell clothes that they repair from these donations.
50. & Other Stories
Recyclable Items Accepted: beauty products and textiles from any brand.
51. Bra Recycling
Recyclable Items Accepted: bras.
52. SugaMat
Recyclable Items Accepted: wet suits. They are recycled into a yoga mat by SugaMat in California!
53. More Foundation Group
Recyclable Items Accepted: shoes.
Donate your olds shoes so that their life continues. Collect shoes to mail in, or find a store that accepts donations on the More Foundation Group’s behalf.
54. Patagonia
Recyclable Items Accepted: all Patagonia products.
Electronics, Media, Office, & Batteries
It is important to realize that these items should generally NEVER be placed in the trash. For this reason, finding and frequenting the locations that recycle this waste near your will help you avoid putting this dangerous waste into landfills.
55. ACT Recycling
Recyclable Items Accepted: media items such as VHS tapes, vinyl VHS cases, DVDs, and a lot of the plastic cases that these tapes and discs are stored in.
56. EcoATM
Recyclable Items Accepted: sell old electronics for money and other rewards.
57. Best Buy
Recyclable Items Accepted: batteries, small appliances like vacuums & fans, electronics, ink cartridges, phones, games & consoles, cameras, GPS devices, music & movies, and more. Larger appliances like refrigerators and microwaves can be hauled away for $19.99 when you have a new appliance delivered through Best Buy Home Delivery and Geek Squad.
58. Greendisk
Recyclable Items Accepted: computer-related waste.
59. Laser Saver
Recyclable Items Accepted: ink and toner cartridges can be recycled in exchange for money or for a donation towards a charity.
60. Funding Factory
Recyclable Items Accepted: ink and toner cartridges can be recycled to support fundraising efforts.
61. US Recycling
Recyclable Items Accepted: ink and toner cartridges can be recycled in exchange for cash.
62. Dell
Recyclable Items Accepted: electronics, ink and toner cartridges.
63. LG
Recyclable Items Accepted: LG, Goldstar, and Zenith branded electronic products.
64. Samsung
Recyclable Items Accepted: consumer electronic products, IT products, printer toner, mobile phone, battery recycling, branded packaging recycling.
65. Sprint
Recyclable Items Accepted: phone buy back and electronic waste recycling programs for individuals and businesses.
66. Home Depot (Call2Recycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: rechargeable batteries, single use batteries, cell phones.
67. Office Depot
Recyclable Items Accepted: ink & toner cartridges.
68. Staples
Recyclable Items Accepted: electronics like cameras, monitors, tablets, DVD players, etc., batteries, and they even have a tech trade-in program! They offer in-store & special event recycling.
69. CD Recycling Center of America
Recyclable Items Accepted: electronics like cameras, monitors, tablets, DVD players, etc., batteries, and they even have a tech trade-in program! They offer in-store & special event recycling.
70. Back Thru The Future
Recyclable Items Accepted: CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, and jewel CD cases.
71. GreenTextbooks.org
Recyclable Items Accepted: textbooks, CDs, and DVDs.
72. e-stewards
Recyclable Items Accepted: electronic waste (e-waste). Find drop-off locations to recycle e-waste.
73. Secure the Call
Recyclable Items Accepted: cell phones.
Their motto: Recycling Cell Phones for a Safer Community.
74. Apple
Recyclable Items Accepted: Apple devices, batteries, electronic products (scanners, hard drives, keyboards, cables, etc.)
75. URT
Recyclable Items Accepted: E-waste, universal waste (lamps, batteries, mercury-containing devices, lighting ballasts, etc), and even IT Assets Disposition/data.
76. Microsoft
Recyclable Items Accepted: Laptops, tablets, phones, and gaming consoles. They also recycle rechargeable batteries with the help of Call 2 Recycle.
77. AT&T
Recyclable Items Accepted: cell phones in their trade-in program.
78. NextWorth
Recyclable Items Accepted: recycle cell phones and tablets in exchange for cash.
79. ECO-CELL
Recyclable Items Accepted: any electronic gadget.
80. Vizio
Recyclable Items Accepted: recycle your used electronics by dropping them off at a designated location, or mailing them in.
81. HP
Recyclable Items Accepted: recycle your used electronics by dropping them off at a designated location, or mailing them in.
82. Easy Recycle Store
Recyclable Items Accepted: electronics recycling mail in program.
83. Big Green Box
Recyclable Items Accepted: batteries.
84. Call2Recycle
Recyclable Items Accepted: batteries.
85. EcoLights
Recyclable Items Accepted: fluorescent lamps.
86. Batteries + Bulbs
Recyclable Items Accepted: batteries, bulbs, and ballasts.
87. Battery Mart
Recyclable Items Accepted: batteries from cordless phones, cell phones, laptops, two ways, cordless power tools, rechargeable consumer type cells (D-C-AA-AAA-9V). Sealed lead acid batteries from Computer UPS, emergency lighting, and backup power. Also, wet cell lead acid batteries.
88. AutoZone
Recyclable Items Accepted: car batteries, and you can receive a $10 merchandise card for doing so.
Children’s Items
Despite being so small, children surprisingly contribute to a lot of waste that is generated in homes. However, there are a few ways to combat that!
89. Clek Carseats
Recyclable Items Accepted: Clek brand car seats, for a fee.
90. Hasbro Toys (TerraCycle)
Recyclable Items Accepted: Hasbro brand toys and games, like Play-Doh, Monopoly,
91. Crayola ColorCycle
Recyclable Items Accepted: used markers.
92. Crazy Crayons & The National Crayon Recycling Program
Recyclable Items Accepted: used crayons.
Plastic Bags
Instead of using plastic bags, it is important to get in the habit of carrying reusable produce and grocery bags. However, sometimes we forget them.
93. Tom Thumb
Recyclable Items Accepted: plastic bags.
94. Albertsons
Recyclable Items Accepted: plastic from any company or store, and several different types of plastics.
95. Walmart
Recyclable Items Accepted: plastic bags.
96. Kroger
Recyclable Items Accepted: plastic bags and plastic food wrap.
97. HEB
Recyclable Items Accepted: plastic bags.
Recycling Companies & Databases
98. g2 Revolution
Recyclable Items Accepted: aerosols, batteries, consumer chemical products, electronics, hazardous waste, lamps & bulbs, nicotine, plastic bags & film, store-based takeback, and more.
99. TerraCycle
Recyclable Items Accepted: dang near anything that’s small enough to reasonably ship.
100. I:CO
I:CO partners with popular fast fashion brands to help close the loop on fashion to create a circular economy.
101. RecycleNation
A recycling location database that help you generate a recycling “to-do” list.
102. Earth911
Earth911 provides a myriad of in-depth “Where to Recycle” and “How to Recycle” resources, such as this article on How To Recycle Furniture
103. COMPOSTNOW
COMPOSTNOW collects compostable material from homes, businesses, and offices to help divert food waste and use it to create useful soil.
104. Organix Recycling
Organic Recycling services 43 states and Puerto Rico to recycle organic material and food waste. They are one of the largest food waste collectors and recyclers in the United States.
105. Waste Management – Think Green
Waste Management is one of the largest comprehensive waste management companies in North America. They also operate recycling facilities and have an online map and database that can locate the closest recycling center near you.
Wow, what a wealth of resources! This is so valuable, particularly for that time in life when you’re minimizing your belongings but don’t want to be adding everything to landfill.
Wow! So many places! I would’ve never known. Will share this with my community thank you!
Wow! I had no idea there were so many different programs to recycle such a variety of items! I am definitely going to pin this and come back to it frequently! Thank you for the awesome list!
Wow! Those recycling facts are sobering. On the bright side, I had on idea that Target accepts old car seats for recycling! Now I know what to do with our old expired car seats. Thank you!
Wow! I had no idea that all these things could be recycled nor that all of these places offered recycling programs! Thanks so much for sharing this list!
I wonder if Goodwill and other donation places know about all of these recycling programs for all of the stuff they get donated that they can’t sell.
WOwsy! Didn’t know that there were so many resources.. I try to reuse as much as possible and avoid buying things that will lead to waste.. but nonetheless will keep this post handy 😉
I am foregner living in Switzerland and when I arrived I was surprised to learn that they recycle glass bottles as per colors – transparent, brown and green (3 different containers) and also that they recycle Nespresso capsules from a coffee machine.
Wow, this is great, I live in a small town so many of these we don’t have, but i didn’t know some that we Do have! So cool!
This is such a useful list. I didn’t know that mattresses could be recycled!
Brilliant list, I didn’t know about quite a few of these recycling options, thank you so much 🙂
Addie, THANK YOU! This is a great list, We are avid recyclers but have been working on reducing our consumption – but with stuff I already have that’s not in good enough shape to donate, I’ve been trying to find recycling programs, specifically for clothes, and haven’t had much luck other than Terracylce, so I’ve been saving up for one of their boxes, but I love the Blue Jeans Go Green program you shared via Madewell and Re-Spun. I’m excited to go through the rest of the list as I continue to declutter/downsize, and super excited to follow your blog! Haha I’ve spent the last half hour reading through old posts!
TREX soft plastic recycling programs. On many areas. Our town of 1300 has turned almost 3 tons of soft plastic into benches snd decking, and have received 5 benches from TREX for our efforts.
I absolutely love that your town has made such an amazing effort and done so much!! Great job, y’all!!!
Love the idea of recycle, repurpose and resources.
I do all when it comes to Candle wax and all that go’s with candles. Wax, wicks, tabs, jars, metal candle holders.
Sustainability starts with businesses so this is amazing that you make sustainable choices every step of the way for your candle business!
This is such great information!
I’m glad you find it useful, Valerie! Thank you!