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?
Best Suggestions
- Pass Them On: offer pre-recorded videos to your local charity shop or on Freecycle – not everyone’s made the switch to DVD and it’s a cheap way for them to pick up entertainment for free/cheap. Some charity shops don’t accept them any more because no one buys them – it differs from shop to shop and between areas.
- Reuse: Crafters have used the tape for crocheting or weaving. The resulting fabric if often used for retro-style bags or purse. Gardeners also use strips of video to deter birds from attacking seedlings.
- Recycle: Some recycling schemes do exist but they tend to be private and only available in a limited area (due to postage/transport costs). Details of some schemes are below.
- See the comments below for more suggestions and ideas
(Photo by vierdrie)
The cases make great lunch boxes. I knit with the tape and since the health scares I now knit with my gardening gloves, outside in warm weather and fresh air. If you can wire the cassette shells together neatly they make quirky wastepaper baskets or a good base for scrim/plaster pots or concrete planters. The earlier memento box idea is great as the cases fit so well in bookcases amongst the books.
“Since the health scares I now knit with my gardening gloves, outside in warm weather and fresh air. ”
Yet you advocate them to be used as “lunch boxes” afterwards? The tape continues to shed and the particulates breathed in and skin absorbed by anyone who uses them. It just doesn’t make much sense to create with the tape…and then pass on the hazards to others.
Stuart, are you accepting cassette tape cartridges?
Or something like this:
http://www.noiseaddicts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/jimi_hendrix_2.jpg
:D
Excuse me…. what health scares??
If you go through all the comments here…you will read. However, I can post this link for you too so you get to it nice and quick..;-)
http://www.flickr.com/groups/plastic/discuss/72157624120579841/
although I would love to reUSE cassette and VHS tapes…I will not be crocheting, weaving, knitting etc. Not worth particulate inhalations, or creating things that buyers (of my work) would be exposed to.
http://www.ems-europe.co.uk/vhs_recycling.php
This free service is open to domestic house holders only and not businesses. We can only accept a maximum of 100 items per household
Cant you jsut drop the video’s in then plastic re-cylcing container?
No you can’t. the plastic cannot be recycled in regular plastic recycling. I am not sure if even doing so would not jam up current methods of machines that recycle plastics. Non the less, since those cases don’t have the recycling symbol on them….they won’t go into the plastic waste stream like milk jugs, detergent bottles, and soda or water bottles.
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A great idea was recently suggested to us by somebody living the ‘green’ life in the country – use videos (in cases) as insulation for buildings. It seems they provide the right kind of air gaps necessary for keeping warmth where required.
So the walls of my lovely shed (sheds are not just for blokes!) is going to be lined with a double layer of videos, which fit perfectly between the wooden support struts, then panelled over with tongue-&-groove panels.
Local charity shops have been more than willing to offload their now-unsellable videos!
Not very creative I know but there is a company now that recycle tapes (audio and video). They’ll take up to 100 items per household for free although the sender has to pay the postage. They’re called Environmental Media Solutions and are based in Bristol, UK. I shall be taking mine there in the next week.
In Bristol there is a free shop at 35 stokes croft which will be happy to accept your video tapes and audio cassettes.
It is open 2-5:30pm on Thurs, Fri, Sat.
Happy free shopping!
Sorry, it’s just published me as anonymous but I’m not really, honest!
Found this site looking for the best way to use or dispose of old videos – thank you everyone – just have to comment on the idea of using them as insulation in buildings. The tapes are highly inflammable and can spontaneously combust if there are lots of them and they get too warm, so that might not be a good idea. Sorry, no references for that at the moment, but worth checking.
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20120419.0525
I work at a charitable organization here in Australia. We sell pre-recorded video tapes at 20 pieces to one Australian dollar. This is equivalent to only five cents each.
The pre-recorded video tapes may be children’s videos (e.g., Madeline, Wiggles, etc.) or adult videos (e.g., Titanic, Babe, etc).
Since they are very cheap, we sell a lot of them. I guess we could copy the content to CDs or DVDs before discarding them.
i have about 5000 vhs films free to collector inbox me thanks
.I recycle HI8 cassette tape all blank media.Nothing ends up in a land fill.Shipping is paid.I live in Canada My email address is (thekind@telus.net)
Excellent info, i’m loading mine up to send to the Bristol Environmental Media Solutions.
Just to let you know, an average VHS weighs about 200grams, the older the heavier by the looks of things. When loading mine I am writing down the names of the films so when I do have the chance I can buy them again or at least just not forget the list of films I loved : )
Ihave a large number of vidio tapes for children and adults if anyone would like them we live in swansea and i am willing to deliver.
Hi, I collect old video cassettes but only original cassettes (with pre-recorded films, not taped from the television) on Beta and Vhs. And only from/released between 1978-1985. Email me your lists and I will pay for postage and possibly for the films themselves. Thanks. retrovault19781985@gmail.com
Best Buy completely recycles these through their ecycle program.
Didn’t best buy close down in UK ?. There site mentions recycling but is now only in America
Hi, I am a collector of video’s released between 1978-1985, I am in the Leeds area and would be willing to pick up any unwanted tapes or pay for shipping if further a field.
m.procter666@ntlworld.com
All these comments have been very heartening – just to know that I’m not alone in being bothered by the mass of non-recyclable videocassettes. Also delighted to finally read of people who know the difference between recycling and just ‘Not throwing it away’. Most businesses are unable to make this distinction – never mind people!
It’s scandalous that this issue isn’t more public – all over the world, people have been buying these wonderful things and are now junking them for space-saving and more user-friendly DVD’s – the combined global tonnage must be massive!
Myself, I’ve only been able to disassemble the cassette, recycling the metal parts (Each cassette is a little machine in itself) and used the tape for Halloween decoration (Admittedly, a possible fire hazard). This still leaves me with the case itself which is – alas – the bulk of the item.
Hi
I have loads of video cassettes we now don’t want including full series of Inspector Morse, and many Inspector Frost, also original series Star Trek, and many other film and children’s videos.
Would rather someone had them befor binning them as this seems an awful waste.
If anyone is interested let me know.
I have 3 carrierbags full of VHS tapes. Disney, John Wayne(boxed), Jethro Tull, Only Fools and Horses and 1/2 others. Can help with delivery within WestDorset/East Devon – meet half-way? or 50% postage/carrier. Time sensitive as some storage is going out.
EMS appear to have collection points in Rugby, Bristol, Slough and Lambeth http://www.ems-europe.co.uk/map-of-collection/. Not much help for those of us in the Midlands though!
help! I have numerous Vts to give away…a boxed set of Paul Scott’s “Raj Quartet”, numerous operas that I am loathe to bin… N London, … any takers?
Video cassettes where manufactured before it became legislation for producers to have logos on their products and even though they dont have a recycling logo Old VHS and Beta video cassettes can be recycled. Look for a local recycler that deals with Polystyrene (No6) as that is the plastic used for the main housing, the film on which the movie is is made from a PET film the same plastic as bottle water bottles. The plastic video cassette boxes are made out of polypropylene (No5)
Have video cassettes and music tapes that I want to fine someone who can put them to some good use. I seemed to have an idea that there was a charity who made cases for pens with them. But can not find anything about it. Can any one help please?Jenny
jenatsunnybrook51@btinternet.com
I’d be happy to take any videos people might still have of stuff they taped from the TV, depending on what it is. I’m mainly looking for old slightly obscure movies (1920s-80s – any genre) and old documentaries (eg. Arena, Imagine, Storyville, South Bank, Scene by Scene, biographies, basically anything pre-2005)), but also old drama series and comedy. I’m not as interested in prerecorded videos unless they’re fairly obscure or rare. I might even be prepared to pay some money for a particularly interesting collection. If anyone has some they think would fit the bill, my email is shouldabroughtasweater@ymail.com. I live in the Tyne valley, 10 miles west of Newcastle.
Just had a clearout and have about 2 dozen videos to get rid of. My local recycling place said they can only go to landfill and I am loathed to do that. I would have thought that their should be a way of recycling them as there must be millions of tons of VHS tapes out there.
I have a lot of VHS tapes that I have taped, some are movies and some music, they can be taped over. Can any one use them?
so cool~
I have seen video tape knitted into a bag