And, in contrast to vinyl and record players, it was possible to take your tapes on the go, using a battery-powered portable player anywhere you wanted. Finding an inexpensive tape deck or boombox today is fairly easy. A few companies still manufacture these players, and there are plenty of older models that people are looking to get rid of. If you grew up with cassettes, then you probably remember how warm and friendly they sounded, even when they started to wear down. Seattle-based label Sub Pop , in particular, has taken it upon themselves to release very nice yellow cassettes, in addition to digital and vinyl releases.
Cassettes were also one of the first formats that allowed for the creation of personal recording devices and portable dictaphones. These recorders used a standard-sized cassette or a microcassette to record audio from an onboard mic or a line-in port.
If you enjoy playing music or recording conversations and interviews, then you can use some of your old cassettes for recording. If you simply record over the original audio, the only audio saved to the tape will be whatever you choose to record.
You can use and re-use a specific tape dozens of times before the tape quality starts to break down. Depending on the tape player you decide to use, you can alter pitch, playback speed, and the quality of the recording and adjust noise reduction. The lo-fi sound definitely still has a large following, and incorporating cassette recordings into your work can help add some interesting musical textures.
Find out how to recycle other things for charity with the Recycle This Recycling for Charity Directory. Viji Thangavelu says:. July 1, at am. February 14, at pm. Anonymous says:. June 29, at am. Eeyore says:. December 20, at pm. February 8, at pm. Joao Rocha says:. September 2, at pm. David James says:. September 29, at pm. Dave says:. Last Updated: September 23, by Joseph Hallas. To this day, there are still millions of unused VHS and audio cassette tapes out there littering garages, attics, and old shelves.
So, are you wondering what to do with old VHS tapes you have on hand? Can VHS tapes be recycled? Turns out, VHS recycling is difficult. Both businesses and individuals can avail of our recycling services for those items. Considering all the available recycling options from an environmental and data security perspective, we believe this is the best way to recycle videotapes. This is because waste-to-energy incineration minimizes environmental impact, reduces landfill, and avoids global dumping.
According to the U. Environmental Protection Agency EPA , every ton of municipal solid waste processed at an EfW facility prevents the release of approximately one ton of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions into the atmosphere.
Landfills are the largest source of human-made methane. Methane has been found to be over 30 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, according to the International Panel on Climate Change IPCC.
In the United States, you can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to closing more than 60 large coal-fired power plants if you recycle VHS tapes with GreenCitizen. Now you know what to do with VHS tapes. As we've mentioned above, you can easily recycle VHS tapes and cassette tapes with us at GreenCitizen. Depending on the content and condition of your VHS tapes and audiotapes, they might be worth something to somebody.
You might not be aware of it, but people recycle and collect all kinds of things, and that includes VHS tapes. First things first, check if there is a local recycling company you can donate them to. Some local recycling services have specialized VHS tapes recycling services.
You could also donate VHS tapes to library services or to a local charity shop if they accept them. You can also try looking for local vintage shops and old record stores that may sometimes get customers that are interested in VHS tapes and cassettes. Waste can be reclaimed as a resource—something of value, rather than something to discard—to reduce the use of raw materials and energy. For example, you can recycle and repurpose plastic VHS tape cases into tote bags and purses as seen in the video below.
People also often make interesting lights and lamps from VHS tapes. You can recycle the clear plastic windows in the front of the tapes to emit light. For example, this YouTube tutorial uses the tape to create a beautiful lamp. Want to know how to dispose of VHS tapes and cassette tapes while keeping your precious memories alive?
Before recycling or sending tapes off for VHS disposal, you should save that irreplaceable content by converting your VHS tapes to digital format. To use their service, all you need to do is order a Legacybox kit. Once you receive your kit, just pack your VHS tapes along with the safety barcode labels that come with it. This is to make sure that all your tapes are properly tracked and accounted for.
Then send the kit back to them for free. After that, they'll send you back your newly digitized videos along with your original VHS tapes within a reasonable amount of time.
What one of the things I appreciate the most about Legacybox is that you get regular personalized email updates about your items, giving you peace of mind that your memories are being well-taken cared of.
Is it really that bad to throw them away in the first place? If only it were that simple. The outer cases of VHS, Betamax and audio cassette tapes are indeed plastic, and at least theoretically recyclable. The inner tape is made of a phthalate-laden form of the plastic polyethylene, often sold under the trade name Mylar, which is not recyclable. Instead, look for local recycling companies. For this and other tough recycling quandaries, try Green Citizen , recycling.
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