I went through my CD's a short while ago and given I'm involved with the IT and Internet industry for a living, I've amassed quite a few... hundred, ugh. I think most of us are in the same boat - music, video, data discs and increasing amounts of advertising material nowadays comes on CD and DVD media.
What to do with it all?
The bad news
CD's and DVD's are made from various lacquers and aluminium and sometimes goold; but by far most of their weight is the polycarbonate plastic - yet another plastic made from crude oil.
Landfill isn't a good option as these things will be around for hundreds of years to come. They don't break down readily and over time can release Bisphenol A, which has been in the news a lot of recent times due to health implications. Burning CD and DVD media releases toxic fumes.
The good news
Recycle or repurpose your unwanted DVD's and CD's
We'll get to some tips for repurposing CD's and DVD's shortly, but I just wanted to make mention that various organizations have sprung up in recent times that will recycle the materials in CD and DVD media. As well as the polycarbonate, some media types have as much as 20mg of gold which can also be reclaimed.
Usually the deal with these recycling services is that the service itself is free, but you need to pay the postage. It doesn't matter what condition the cd or dvd is in; even broken ones will be accepted. If you wish to get rid of old CD's with sensitive information on them, just cut them up with a pair of sturdy shears first.
Safety tip: I still remember very clearly the first time I attempted to destroy a CD in my hands. The darned thing shattered and there were sharp shards of plastic bits all over the place. If you need to destroy a CD or DVD, wear gloves and break it inside a container with either your head turned away or wear eye protection.
No comments:
Post a Comment