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When it comes time to recycle everyday objects that are not paper, glass or containers, doubts often arise as to which container or place they should be taken. A good example of this is what happens with old CDs or DVDs. A large part of the material in these objects is plastic. However, the yellow container is intended for packaging, not "plastics" in general. This way, neither CDs nor DVDs should end up in the yellow container. Then, Where are old CDs thrown away? If you want to know a little more about where to take them and why recycling is so important, keep reading Green Ecologist and we'll tell you about it.
What are old CDs made of?
Thanks to the appearance of new formats that allow information to be saved on media other than traditional CDs, these objects are becoming less common in most houses. However, we can still find many of them, either because they have accumulated over the years or even because they are offered for free, for example together with magazines or in the form of advertising, or because we like to collect them for some reason.
Regardless of which is the case, CDs are made by plastic for the most part, specifically by a type of plastic called polycarbonate, a very valuable type of plastic and that can be recycled. However, they also have significant amounts of other materials, such as aluminum or synthetic lacquers that are part of its structure and that, in fact, make it quite toxic if they end up in the environment without proper management.
Where can old CDs be thrown away
Because the materials that form it are so varied, they need to be treated in a special way, that is, old CDs must be taken to special containers, in the same way that happens with batteries or used oil. These containers are becoming more and more numerous in most large cities, as municipalities are installing them in the form of their own containers or incorporated into some of the urban furnishings, such as bus stops.
However, in the event that we do not have at our disposal one of these specific containers for recycling old CDs, we will always have the option of taking them to the nearest clean point. A clean point or green point is a place where practically any waste is collected (there are exceptions, such as hospital waste, potentially toxic materials or radioactive material). The clean points are located in specific places and, in some cases, some municipalities provide mobile clean points that move to different neighborhoods according to the corresponding day of the week. In this way, if we do not have a specific container for CDs at our disposal, the correct option will be to keep them until we can take them to one of these clean points, where we can be sure that they will be managed for recycling in a correct and environmentally friendly way. environment.
When to take old CDs to the cleanup
It is important to bear in mind that, in addition to CDs, clean points recycle and manage everyday waste of many types, such as furniture, electrical appliances, technological waste, clothing and fabrics, acrylic and synthetic paints, used oils, batteries, etc. In short, any garbage that can be produced regularly in a house and that cannot be managed correctly with the usual recycling bins.
This means that, from time to time, it is normal to have to go through a clean point to dispose of the garbage produced and that cannot be eliminated with the daily garbage service. In this way, whether it is a CD or any other object, it is best to store the garbage that must be taken to the clean point and, once every fifteen days, a month, or when necessary, take a trip to the closest clean point where it will be used to empty all the household rubbish that we cannot throw into the conventional rubbish.
Anyway, it must be taken into account that the most advisable thing is take old CDs and DVDs to the clean point when there are no special containers nearby commented before or from specific points for CD collection, such as those that may be in some stores. The reason is that if we deposit them in the specific places for these materials we will be saving steps in the recycling process.
Other alternatives for old CDs and DVDs
However, another aspect that we must assess before getting rid of old CDs is their condition. In many cases, we dispose of these items for lack of use rather than because they are in poor condition. When this happens, the possibility of reuse CDs and DVDs, even vinyl, either selling them in second hand markets (either in collaborative economy platforms or specialized stores) or, simply, by giving them to those people who are going to use them, for example some elderly or passionate about this type of format and who, therefore, still continue to listen to music in this format.
We can also include them in some ideas for reuse everyday objects making new ones, for example decorating table lamps with pieces of CD.
In any case, the most important thing will always be to give them an adequate outlet and to prevent them from ending up in the trash that does not correspond to them and, consequently, assuming a polluting element in the environment.
If you want to read more articles similar to Where are old CDs thrown away, we recommend that you enter our Recycling and waste management category.
