CDs and DVDs
Environmental benefits: Most CDs and DVDs go into landfill, creating over 28 million tonnes of UK household rubbish each year. Recycling these products frees up much needed landfill space.
How to recycle: There are a number of companies that recycle CDs and DVDs (see below). These can recycle anything from a handful of movie DVDs to thousands of unsold CDs or DVDs for small businesses.
Alternatively, you could give them to the Blue Peter Barnardos Disc Drive appeal. This way, your unwanted discs will be given to Barnardo’s shops and the proceeds will be used to support young carers across the UK. You can donate your discs by taking them to your nearest Barnardo’s store, Lloyds TSB branch or BBC Radio Station.
Absolutely everything can be recycled - the jewel cases, plastic or cardboard wallets and DVD plastic cases. Some materials are reduced to tiny pellets and used in road building, while the disc can be compounded into polycarbonate for making burglar alarms or street lighting. Unwanted DVD cases can even be recycled into bird feeders.
Useful links:
Specialist companies recycling CD and DVD include:
Team Green Britain and London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd (LOCOG) do not endorse any of the products, companies, organisations, opinions or websites that have been mentioned in this article. The content of this article has merely been provided as background to, or discussion on, various topical issues relating to the environment and it is not necessarily representative of the views of Team Green Britain and LOCOG. Further, any figures and calculations noted in this article are estimates (unless otherwise specified), and may vary in light of numerous factors and readers are advised to undertake their own research in relation to the facts and figures applicable to their particular circumstance.