I have inherited a lot (maybe 200 plus) of old audio cassette tapes and VHS video tapes - both commercial releases and ones bought as blanks and then recorded on. I want to get rid of the lot, but though local charity shops will happily accept commercial audio tapes they're not interested in the others. Are there any organisations which will take them and do something useful with the raw materials? I've had a Google round but not yet turned up anything promising.
Many thanks.
My local "tip" has a container set aside for cassette/vhs/cd/dvd
Ah, that's useful to know, thanks. I checked on my local authority's recycling website but there's no specific information there - or if there is, it's well buried which isn't really appropriate.
I also tried ringing them but after going through a series of menus nested inside other menus etc, etc, eventually got back to the top having met no option to talk to an actual person.
I'll try again tomorrow or at the last resort take a trip there to find out for myself.
I'd be interested to know how you get on. I have several hundred audio books (several thousand cd's) that belonged to my recently late mother. Most are home recorded. I don't just want to bin them. Someone, somewhere has a need. Nick.
I've found that local charity shops are very happy to take commercial audiobooks but I've never enquired about home-recorded ones and I suspect that they'd not be so willing to accept them. Retirement homes, maybe?
I know exactly what you mean, and I'm in the same position.
Try the local talking book organisation.
Bill
I am thinking your regular recycling channels may not be as interested in the cassettes because before you can process them you need to break them apart. They contain dissimilar plastics and even some metal inside (the axles of the rollers, a spring on the VHS tape if I remember correctly). I guess, metals are easy - crush the thing and then pick the ferrous metals up with a magnet but I'm not sure how would they separate the ABS of the body from the nylon (I think) of the spool core unless someone actually takes it apart and looks. My guess would be as soon as you start requiring human labor, the economics of recycling it for raw materials go right out the window.
That's interesting, thanks. If I can make contact with the council tomorrow, I'll report back on what I find out.
Bert Coules put finger to keyboard:
Reminds me of a Simpsons episode where Bart is being interviewed by Chief Wiggum.
Wiggum: "Right, I'm going to record this interview"
BS (glancing at the label on the cassette Wiggum is about to insert into the recorder): "Hootie and the Blowfish?!"
Wiggum: "Yeah, it's cheaper than blank tape."
Freecycle.
Naw, you just fill a few containers and ship it out to China...
I tried (or at least I tried Freegle, which is the local equivalent) but though I had takers for commercial tapes there was no interest in home-recorded blanks ones.
Scion posted
It's true. I am still using audio cassettes to record radio music programmes as I have for many years, but it's hard to get the blanks now. So I buy old pre-recorded ones at charity shops for 10p a time and record over them.
I just had a reply to my email to the council (I gave up on the notion of getting through on the phone):
"I would like to advise that due to the number of old audio cassettes and VHS video tapes you would like to dispose of they would need to be taken to your local Kent County Council Amenity site..."
Which implies the presence of a special bin or area but doesn't actually say that there definitely is one.
I'd guess the sort of dinosaur who still uses a VCR so needs blank tapes may not be able to - or want to - use something like FreeCycle.
I think I might still have a Betamax VCR lying about somewhere (probably in the loft). And it's not that long ago that i scrapped a U-matic machine.
I still have a working VHS. But ain't looking for tapes - I've got more than enough.
We do. But it's only to play old recordings now - we never record on it any more.
Andy
The facilities available vary according to the site, and they obviously couldn't be arsed to check their own website (last time I looked, they did tell you at least for some kinds of waste).
Why don't you put them on 'Freecycle'? I got rid of about 100 old cassette tapes a while ago. There always seems to be someone out there who will collect anything I want to dispose of.
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