Green Calgary

The Unusuals recycling, taken to the next level

Filed in: Waste & Recycling

Reader Question

Hello Ashley,

I was delighted to come across the Guide to Reuse and Recycling and I was impressed by the level of detail. I’m an avid recycler but there were at least a dozen items that you gave solutions for that I never thought could go anywhere but the trash. I’m sure there are many people like me that might not even look in the guide for something like wine corks but it’s refreshing to know that they don’t have to end up in the garbage. Perhaps you could compile a list of the unusual items that might have evaded even the keenest of recyclers.

Cheers,
Tammy

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Ashley's Answer

Dearest Tammy,

While only 20% of Calgary’s waste is being recycled (80% landfilled), it seems that those individuals that actually make the effort to recycle really, really like it. It must be the heroic feeling a person gets when he or she manages to wrestle their cardboard into the overloaded recycling bins or perhaps it’s the feeling of rest assuredness that comes with recycling, knowing that it’s helping save precious resources for countless numbers of future generations. Whatever it is a small percentage of people are hooked. I get numerous emails from individuals that already compost and recycle their paper and cardboard, plastic bags, milk cartons, tin and glass, yet they’re still unsatisfied with the amount of garbage they are sending to landfill. They are hell bent not to produce waste, to have zero waste. I’m sure it is this group that will most appreciate this list, so here it is – a list of 15 of the more difficult, if not unusual, items to recycle in Calgary.

1. Phones – Clean Calgary Association accepts cell phone donations, whereby phones are refurbished and sent to areas of the world where landlines are not present or where the cost of a new phone is prohibitive. Some phones are donated to shelters. Likewise, Think Food has various cell phone collection sites across the country, where cell phones can be donated. Regular telephones can be recycled at Ecycle Solutions (3121 16th St NE or 2405 Macleod Trail SW, 945-2611) or Technotrash Alberta Ltd. (4915 – 77 Ave SE, 265-2332).

2. Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL’s) – These little energy savers have enough mercury in them to contaminate 6,500 litres of water so it’s best to recycle them. While there is not a municipal fluorescent tube recycling program, Ikea (8000 11 St. S.E. (Deerfoot Meadows)) will accept them for recycling from their customers. NEW – All Home Depot location are now collecting CFL’s for recycling.

3. Smoke Detectors – many of these little life savers contain the radioactive material Americium 241. In response to stringent regulations in some jurisdictions, the major smoke detector manufacturers have set up take-back programs to deal with ionization smoke detectors in an environmentally responsible manner.

Send First Alert, BRK and Family Guard Smoke Detectors to: BRK Brands, 25 Spur Drive, El Paso, TX 79906, (800) 323-9005; www.firstalert.com. On the front of the package, write “For Disposal.” Up to five smoke alarms are accepted for free. Ship American Sensors and Dicon Smoke Detectors by surface mail to: Dicon Inc., 20 Steelcase Road West, Unit #3, Markham, Ontario L3R 1B2, Canada, (800) 387-4219. On the front of the package, write “For Recycling, $0 Value.”

4. Batteries – rechargeable batteries, under tough regulations set by the US EPA, are widely accepted for recycling. Dead rechargeable batteries can be taken to all Battery Experts, Battery Plus, Bell World, FIDO, Future Shop, The Home Depot, Home Hardware, London Drugs, Makita Factory Service Centers, Personal Edge/ Centre du Rasoir, Revy, Sears, The Sony Store, The Source by Circuit City, Telus Mobility and Zellers stores for recycling. Visit www.rbrc.org or call 1-800-8-BATTERY or 1-877-2-RECYCLE to find the nearest retail collection site.

While there is not a municipal recycling program for single use batteries, Mountain Equipment Co-op (830 – 10th Ave SW, 269-2420) and Ikea (8000 11 St. S.E. (Deerfoot Meadows)) are accepting them from their customers. Similarly, All Start (107 – 46th Ave SW, 243-1090) will recycle single use batteries for a small fee.

5. Microwaves – These can be recycled at Ecycle Solutions (3121 16th St NE or 2405 Macleod Trail SW, 945-2611) or Technotrash Alberta Ltd. (4915 – 77 Ave SE, 265-2332).

6. Eye Glasses – Lions Recycle for Sight collects and distributes recycled eyeglasses to individuals in Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, El Salvador, Ghana, Haiti, the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Samoa, Tanzania, Togo, and Zambia. Lens Crafters, King Optical, Zellers Pharmacy, Wal-Mart Vision Stores, Norampac, among others collect used glasses on behalf of the Lions Recycle for Sight.

7. Wine Corks – The non-synthetic wine corks can go right into your compost heap. Simply tear the cork up, add it to your pile and watch it disappear. Wine corks function as brown carbonaceous material.

8. Tree trimmings, brush and yard waste – Can be taken to the East Calgary Landfill Site (17 Ave & 68 Street SE) to be composted at their commercial scale composting pad. It must be requested at the scale house that this material is to be added to the branch pile set up for landscapers. The cost is $5 for 250kg or less, or if a person has more than 250kg, a fee of $30/tonne must be paid (as opposed to $50/ tonne for regular municipal solid waste).

9. Running Shoes – The Running Room Canada Inc. will accept good condition running shoes to distribute to the less fortunate. All Running Room stores will accept running shoes year-round. Visit www.runningroom.com/hm/inside.php?id=3033 for a directory of stores.

10. Books – Calgary Public Libraries accept book donations (with the exception of encyclopedias) year-round at their central circulation desks. Visit www.calgarypubliclibrary.com/library/branches.aspx for a list of branches. Likewise, Calgary Reads collects books from May 1st through to the final week of May each year for its annual book sale. Visit www.calgaryreads.com/index.htm or call 777-8254 for more information.

11. Bicycles – Bow Cycle and Sports (6501 Bowness Rd NW, 288-5422) accepts children’s bikes for their Bikes for Kids program. Bikes are collected, refurbished and donated to local charities. Donations can be made from November 1st to December 1st each year. For information on how to donate a bike internationally visit www.giveabicycle.org for some ideas.

12. Fleece Jackets – Garments (MEC brands, Polartec, Eco Circle and Patagonia) made with 90% polyester or greater can be taken to Mountain Equipment Co-op (830 – 10th Ave SW, 269-2420) for recycling. Elements, the Patagonia Store (135 – 8th Ave SW, 266-6463), will accept polyester items that are part of the Patagonia Common Threads Recycling Program. These programs are for clothing that can no longer be worn. Visit www.patagonia.com for more information.

13. Records and Cassette Tapes – Recordland (1208 9 Avenue SE, 262-3839) buys, sells and trades vintage music.

14. CDs/DVDs – Technotrash Alberta Ltd. (4915 – 77 Ave SE, 265-2332) will recycle those CDs and DVDs that are destined for the trash can.

15. Miscellaneous – Unloading useful items has never been easier. Craigslist (http://calgary.craigslist.org/) features free classifieds with jobs, internships, housing, for sale/barter/wanted, services, etc, while Freecycle (www.freecycle.org/) offers a great resource for finding or getting rid of items at no charge.

If you think I’ve missed something important please have a look at Clean Calgary’s Guide to Reuse and Recycling to see if it’s already in there. If I’ve missed something, please let me know and I’ll do my best to add it. By all means, keep the great questions and comments coming. And cheers to all those striving for zero waste.

Unusually,
Ash

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