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Resources for Recycling and Reuse
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Welcome to ARROWONLINE Recycling and Reuse Referrals.
Here are ARROW's suggestions for places to donate and/or properly dispose of common items.
Click on the name of the item to find a place that will accept it, their hours and location, and other info.
You can also scroll down to see the list of organizations and companies that help reduce waste in Queens and NYC. |
Baby Buggy
Do you have gently used and no longer needed baby items? Baby Buggy http://www.babybuggy.org accepts used baby items in very good condition that they then distribute throughout the city to organizations serving New York City's needy children. (back to top)
Build it Green
is a not-for profit building materials reuse warehouse that sells recycled kitchen appliances, doors, windows, all variety of fixtures and unused construction materials. Also available are new cabinets dontated by manufacturers at greatly reduced prices. Computers, monitors, TVS, VCRs, DVD Players and cell phones can also be dropped for recycling in bins outside the store during their business hours, or at an outside container when the warehouse is closed. Visit them at 3-17 26th. Ave, Astoria or at http://www.bignyc.org (back to top)
Cartridge World
Cartridge World http://www.cartridgeworldusa.com refills toner cartridges and resells them at less than 50% of the regular price. Also, they have programs that allow K-12 schools and non-profit organizations to raise funds by collecting empty printer cartridges and returning them to Cartridge World. Its' easy! Click on the Fundraising link at the site.
Freecycle Network
is a non-profit grass roots network of local groups who post e-mails with details of goods that they want to give away. They also take clothing items in wearable condition. Visit them at http://www.freecycle.org/
Green Disk
For a fee, GreenDisk helps individuals or organizations get rid of floppy disks, CDs, and other wastes of the Information Age in an environmentally responsible manner. GreenDisk also sells computer media (CD-RWs, jewel cases, and diskettes) made from their recycling program. Check out their website http://www.greendisk.com or call 800.305.DISK for more information. Housing Works
Housing Works Used Book Cafe accepts books, records and CDs 100% of the profits go to housing works a non-profit organization that provides services to homeless New Yorkers living with HIV and Aids visit them at 126 Crosby Street, Soho, or at http://wwwlhousingworks.org/usedbookscafe/ Lower East Side Ecology Center
Drop off your compostable waste at their Green Market compost Stand, Union Square, Mon, Wed, Fri or Satruday from 8 am. to 5 pm. The Lower east side Ecology also rund periodic composting workshops and electronic waste recycling events. Visit them at http://www.lesecologycenter.org/
LensCrafters
Drop off gently used eyeglasses at any LensCrafters store. LensCrafter is partnered with the Lions Club International in the "Give the Gift of Sight" program to bring glasses to people around the world who are unable to afford them. Use the LensCrafters store locator at http://www.lenscrafters.com
Mail Boxes Etc
Unless you run a side business via eBay, you probably don't need all that packaging peanuts you have from your online or mail order purchases. Donate your unused packaging peanuts to participating Mail Boxes Etc. Find your neighborhood MBE at http://go.mappoint.net/mbe/PrxInput.aspx
Materials For The Arts
Materials for the Arts http://www.mfta.org collects paint, paper, brushes, crayons, cloth, beads and all other artistic mediums. Art educators from around New York City public schools are able to go through the warehouse to find much needed supplies for school art projects. Call the warehouse manager Jesse if you have questions about what you are donating: 718-729-3001 x207.
Drop-off Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:30-3 (they can pick-up larger donations Tuesdays and Thursdays)
33-00 Northern Boulevard
Long Island City, NY
National Cristina Foundation
The next time you move up to the latest computer model, consider donating that old computer instead of putting it out on the sidewalk. One organization that can help with finding the older computer a new home is the National Cristina Foundation. They accept Pentium PC or PowerMac systems that have hard drive, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. For more details on what are accepted systems, surf over to http://www.cristina.org/donate.html
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library http://www.nypl.org accepts gently used books, magazines and other media. You can drop off book at the Mid-Manhattan Library, 5 East 39th Street (212) 576-0040 or if you have more than 3 boxes of books, they will come and pick them up.
New York Cares Coat Drive
New York Cares accepts winter coats, but not other winter outerwear. Coat collections are all over the city. Many fire stations and police stations have collections. Contact NYCares at 212 228 5000 or http://www.nycares.org New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
NYSERDA offers a takeback program that provides vouchers in exchange for old air conditioners to allow residential users to purchase Energy star Models. Visit them at http://www.getenergysmart.org/
NYC Stuff Exchange
RadioShack
Most RadioShack stores will take back rechargeablebatteries and cellphones. Locate the nearest RadioShack for your area at http://www.radioshack.com/
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation
Using rechargeable batteries help reduce waste but at some points those rechargeable batteries will reach their lifespan. Instead of throwing out like regular non-rechargeable batteries, drop them off with a retail partner of the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation. Best Buy and Target are two examples of an RBRC retail partner. To locate a drop off site, visit http://www.rbrc.org/consumer/index.html
Recycle a Bicycle
Do you have a new bike and need to find a place to donate the old one? Put it to good use! Go to http://www.recycleabicycle.org to find out how. Staples
Staples accepts computers, office technology products, ink and toner cartridges, cell phones and other personal electronics and rechargeable batteries for recycling and reuse. Visit http://www.staples.com and click on store locator for nearest store.
Staples' Recycle for Education
Staples donates $3 to local schools for every eligible inkjet and laser cartridge dropped off for recycling. See staples-locator.com for the nearest store. Learn more about Staples' Recycle for Education program at http://www.staplesrecyclefored.com/
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The New York City Department of Sanitation is our NYC agency that oversees waste removal and recycling. On their website, in addition to recycling rules and other information, they have an exhaustive and complete listing of where NYC residents can get rid of almost anything in the environmentally correct way. click here to visit their home page. When you are at the site, click on "How do I dispose of..." and an alphabetical listing will appear. What you may not know is that DSNY has a Bureau of Waste Prevention Reuse and Recycling great website full of waste prevention measures and tips and ideas of ways to reduce waste in the home, office and city agencies. Make use of this resource and make a difference. |
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Reuse or Recycle?
Reusing products, when possible, is even better than recycling because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be used again. Reusing items -- by repairing them, donating them to charity and community groups, or selling them -- also reduces waste.
How about repair? We are lucky in NYC to have lots of small businesses that repair electronics like TVs and VCRs, shoes and other household items. It might take some time searching to find one of these in your neighborhood, but its worth it. Think about it. The more people that use these businesses, the more likely they are to prosper and stay in business, help to keep electronics and other usable items out of the landfill |
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Volunteer Opportunity
If you have one hour every month to spend on the phone, you can provide a huge service to others who are trying to reduce their waste. ARROW needs volunteers to call furniture, electronics, shoe repair shops, watch repair ....the list goes on. One hour of your time each month will keep our lists updated. If you can volunteer, please contact us. |
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Painless Ways to Reuse
Take a coffee mug to work and use it.
Use cloth napkins or towels.
Donate old magazines or surplus equipment to others.
Reuse boxes and giftwrap.
Turn empty glass jars into containers for leftover food.
Purchase refillable pens and pencils.
Take old paint for reuse. See the DSNY website for info.
Extend the life of good shoes by having them resoled. NYC has lots of shops that repair leather and other shoes. Buy a stainless or glass water container and stop buying the plastic ones. Unless you are carrying the empty ones home, it is impossible to recycle them almost anywhere else. Read the paragraph below and you will become convinced.
Did you know that... Last year, Americans threw away 38 billion water bottles - or about $1,000,000,000.00 worth of plastic. That much plastic came from 1.5 million barrels of oil, or enough to fuel 100,000 cars for one year of average use. That is a huge waste that could have been prevented by using individual durable reusable containers for water. Read more...
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