TUE, 7 SEPTEMBER, 2010

March 30th, 2009
TOUGH TO RECYCLE: CDs AND DVDs AND DV-Rs, OH MY!
This is Part One of an Ongoing Series of Hard-to-Recycle Materials

Words and Photo: Mark Ziemke

There aren’t many companies out there that don’t use CD-Rs or DV-Rs, which primarily get stored for years as backup data files, and then most likely dropped in the trash. For everyday folks, music CDs usually get stored for a while and when it comes time to sell them back now that you’re sick of Blues Traveler, the record shop isn’t buying because they are old and scratched up from your removable Blaupunkt car stereo. So what do you do?

After calling around I figured out that most recycling companies will take them, but will just end up sending them to the landfill, which seems a little odd to say the least. But during a search for a local solution I came across a company called MRC Polymers Inc., which will gladly take CDs, DVDs and the jewel cases to grind up to make more polymer-based products such as wheel covers, luggage racks and propellers to name a few.

Obviously the best thing to do with your jewel cases would be to reuse them or donate them to a local business. Or, better yet, find a struggling local band that can use them for their own promo albums. There are a lot of options for the jewel cases, but since a scratched-up disk has no chance of resuscitation—they even make lousy coasters—if at all possible, try to keep them from the landfill.

I wish I could personally reach out to all the radio stations, music magazines, used record stores, advertising agencies, PR firms, etc., to let them know that those stacks and stacks of CDs, DVDs, DV-Rs, CD-Rs, and whatever else can ALL be recycled. When it’s time to do a clean up, give MRC Polymers a visit and drop off what you have. They’ll be glad to take them off your hands. And who knows, maybe that scratched-up copy of Sports by Huey Lewis and the News might end up as your new hubcap one day.

The MRC Polymers drop-off address is below:

www.mrcpolymers.com
3535 W 31ST St
Chicago, IL 60623
(773) 890-9007

Having trouble recycling an item? Email us at recycle@gogreenchicago.net and we’ll see if we can find a solution for you.

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