How can I reuse or recycle … VHS video tapes?
I’ve always been a film fanatic and amassed quite a collection of videos over the years until DVDs came along. Most of my pre-recorded ones were given away and the ones we recorded ourselves went to live in the attic along with the VCR itself. A couple of years on, they’re still up there.
I hadn’t thought of them though until I posted the blog on televisions a couple of weeks ago then Brian emailed to say he had a similar collection of now-redundant tapes too - and now here we are: how can we reuse or recycle video tapes?
(Photo by vierdrie)
always check ebay to see if any are worth anything as a lot off old films can still be worth something if you have any without a cert on they may be worth checking
The following website does state that all plastics are recyclable. You would have to do as others have suggested above and dismantle to segregate.
The site doesn’t specifically state plastics used in video cassettes but the plastic bits should be able to go in the recycle bin.
http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Plastics.htm
In theory maybe but in practice at the moment, different areas have access to different recycling facilities and will only collect plastics they can recycle.
For example, around me in Leeds, we can recycle types 1, 2 and 4 in our doorstep bins; other boroughs say 1, 2 and 5; while my mum and dad’s council won’t let them recycle any plastics at all.
It would make it so much easier if there was more consistency between councils/areas about what can be recycled. Sigh.
I am a fan of VHS.They are really great but if you no longer apprieciate the joys of VHS,I would suggest you could give them to your local charity shop or even better you could record over them or just watch them again.If your VCR no longer works they are readly availble in second hand furniture shops and in argos!
I have not seen anyone coming up with ideas for the plastic boxes.I refuse to just dump them. they must be able to store something?
Unfortunatley, VHS tapes aren’t woth squat on Ebay. You’re better off donating them to charity.
Even charities are having a hard time shifting them because they are getting so many at once as people change over to DVDs.
A friend of mine uses the boxes for storage for nuts and bolts and keeps the cases end up like a book and manages to pack a lot on a shelf and all easily accessible.
Or you could post them on Freecycle (in the UK) maybe Craigs list in the US and get it to the people who are sticking with old technology rather than burden the charity shops. Often I find that a lot of the stuff given to charity shops is un-saleable and the burden of discarding the goods is put on the charity. That is where this site is great and Freecycle.
An update on how they recycle in Sweden can be found here:
http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2009/03/tuesday-march-24th-2009-recycling-and.html
Keymood UK can collect: CDs, DVDs, vinyl, cassettes, VHS videos, computer parts and mobile phones. http://www.keymood.co.uk 01989 566288
Here are a number of quality Recycling Companies for hard to recycle items (many are in SF Bay Area but many are national). Very low cost and easy to use:
http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cd/recycle/options/mvid.htm
Mail-in Program
Ecodisk (888) 797-7638
GreenDisk (800) 305-3475
National Program
Eco Media Recycling Center (800) 959-5156 x236
Online Service
CoCoMAX - Materials Exchange (800) 750-4096
Berkeley
Alameda County Computer Resource Center
1501 Eastshore Hwy., 94710 (510) 528-4052
Concord
Concord/Pleasant Hill Recycling Center
1320 Galaxy Way, 94520 (925) 689-3900
Shred-It (800) 994-8441
Fremont
Thrift Town
41200 Blacow Rd. #E., 94538 (510) 661-9150
Hayward
E-Recycling of California (ERC)
31775 Hayman Avenue, 94545 (800) 795-0993
Recall Secure Destruction
1660 Delta Ct., 94544 (800) 727-4733
Livermore
VintageTech E-Waste Recycling
2442 Research Dr., 94550 (925) 371-1050
Oakland
Children’s Hospital - Volunteer Services
747 52nd St., 94609 (510) 428-3471
San Jose
RAFT - Resource Area for Teachers
1355 Ridder Park Dr., 95131 (408) 451-1420
Hi there,
I am a collector of old pre recorded video cassette tapes; if you have any you would like to get rid of, then please get in contact via email (mattyjlh@yahoo.co.uk) and I will try and take them of your hands.
Hi, are you based in the UK? I have a couple of boxes of tapes in search of a good home.
Hi Youngling,
I am based in South London, drop me an email to mattyjlh@yahoo.co.uk and we can arrange collection/delivery.
Hi, I have around 40 video tapes in very good condition I would like to get rid of them. If anyone is interested please contact me. Bye.
I have developed a method of converting existing video tape into a fine strand of material of 0.4mm in diameter this means that the resulting material can be woven on a conventional weaving loom,
so is there anybody out there interested ?.
yes that sounds cool…how?
HI . IF YOU HAVE SOME OLD VHS TAPES , SEND THEM OVER . I HAVE A LARGE COLLECTION OFF THEM ( ABOUT 3000 ) AND ITS HARD TO FIND SOME NEW ONES I HAVENT SEEN YET .SORRY BUT I CANT PAY THE P&P, BUT ILL TAKE YOUR TAPES . I LIVE IN BRISTOL . FOR CONTACTS : WILDSAU@HOTMAIL.CO.UK
I can get hold of a couple of hundred VHS cassettes if anyone has a use for them. They can be collected from Bristol or Cambridge, UK. (marco.pearson@googlemail.com)
Does anyone in the Cambridge (UK) area have any need for about 40 VHS tapes? They’re previously blank and recorded with various films and TV shows (a *lot* of early series of ‘Friends’…). I don’t drive so they’d need to be collected from central Cambridge but they’re free to the first offer of a good home!
I crochet mine, like I do with my supermarket bags. They are a bit noisy but they make a strong bag.
If anyone has any VHS tape COVERS of movies, I am willing to take those! I resuse them to make entertainment memorabilia.
Oops, forgot to say email me if youre interested:
emsie111@yahoo.com
I’ve had ENOUGH!!! I’m starting a MEDIA RECYCLING PROJECT in Oxfordshire because I’ve got 100’s of videos and I don’t want to put them into the Landfill so if you live in or around Oxfordshire… Watch this space for more info or drop me an e-mail!
John P
stickyman4@gmail.com
Hi all, I have about 70 vhs tapes to recycle! in some way and anybody is welcome to come and have them. Lots have films on ie ET, Sound of Music, Ben Hur, My Left Foot etc.
I live in south Northamptonshire in the village of Higham Ferrers. I would be willing to drive 20 miles or so to deliver them or to meet a potential user.
Daniel
Hi, I actually happened across this website trying to find out how to recycle VHS cheaply and effectively. I work in a books and music charity shop and as the amount of dvds donated increases we are slowly fazing out vhs, now only selling cult classics, hard to find, foreign films, childrens etc… this means we have hundreds of unwanted vhs to recycle. The company’s we have contacted so far charge excessive costs to collect and recycle our unwanted videos. We are completely unwilling to dump them in the rubbish to be taken to landfill and so they are just sat taking up tonnes of precious space in our shop. So, if anyone knows a good way of recycling vhs in London please let me know and also please think carefully about what charity shops can conceivably sell before donating unwanted goods to them as it could be you are just passing on the cost of environmentally friendly disposal or even worse donating to a shop that just dumps them regardless.
Thanks.
Hi Becky, I know the problem that’s why I’ve set up the “Media Recycling Project” in Oxfordshire. If you can collect enough tapes together I’d be willing to pick them up from London 100+ (at no cost to you).
The project is run by volunteers and any money we make from the recycling is going back into the community!
Regards
John Pring
Coordinator
Media Recycling Project