Music lovers, personal computer users and avid gamers have probably accumulated dozens of CD cases over the years. The cases are great at storing favourite discs, but eventually music tastes change, computer systems are frequently updated and gamers have moved to more portable devices. This leaves a lot of unwanted CDs and CD cases taking up space.
Can you recycle CD cases?
By this time you are probably wondering… Can you recycle CD cases? The answer to that question is “yes,” both the CD and plastic cases is 100% recyclable although they aren’t as easy to recycle as other items. CD cases are generally classified as electronics, even though the cases themselves contain no electronic components. This classification means that CD cases are not accepted in curbside recycling and cannot be disposed of in single-stream recycling containers.
Where can you recycle CD cases?
CD cases can sometimes be recycled at any facilities which accepts phones, computers, TVs and computer monitors and other electronic items. You may get paid for your CD cases or sometimes you may end up having to pay to have them recycled, depending upon the recycling centre that you go to. You may want to call or visit their website to know what their policies are before you visit them.
Your old CD cases should be recycled or donated if not in use because of the chemical compounds they contain. Styrene and benzene. These are very carcinogenic chemicals that can easily seep into the atmosphere and water if they end up in landfill.
If you have old CD cases that you’re ready to part with, you may be thinking about selling or donating them. Some music retailers will gladly buy, sell and trade older CDs. You could place an ad on eBay, Gumtree, Craigslist or other popular e-commerce sites and sell them yourself or there are many websites which buy your old CD’s Some of the best-known ones are Music Magpie, Ziffit and Zapper. Alternatively you can donate your old CD cases to various charities in your area.
Other ways to reuse your old CD cases:
Another alternative is to reuse your old CD cases to make something new. Here are a few creative ideas:
- Coasters: The nice thing about using your unused CD cases for coasters is that you don’t have to do anything to them. Feel free to stack them up as high as you’d like. They’re very easy to clean and can easily be reused many times.
- Picture frames: Clear CD cases make great picture frames! Their prongs will hold your pictures in place. All you need to do is print the pictures that you want to display (you might have to cut them down a bit to fit into the CD cases) and mount them on your walls. A quick and simple way to add favourite memories to any room of your home. Another idea is creating a photo mural with a large amount of photos and CD cases.
- Calendars: You can use an old CD case to protect and display a small wall calendar. You can put it on your desk or wall. You can even decorate the exterior or interior of the CD case if you want.
- Birdhouses: Using different coloured CD cases to build a birdhouse is a great weekend or afternoon project. Birds will be attracted to the colours. You can spend hours watching them through the translucent cases as they flutter around interacting with each other.
- Pen/pencil holders: For this project, you’ll need five CD cases that are roughly the same size. You can glue them together to form a box. You can decorate the inside and outside of the box however you want. These boxes make great pen and pencil holders. You can also use them to store craft supplies, toiletries and other household items.
- Planters: You can also use clear or coloured CD cases to create your own outdoor planters. They’re easy to make and can be created in any size that you want. A simple project that you can do by yourself or do with your kids!
- Miniature greenhouses: If you have enough clear CD cases, you can build your own miniature outdoor greenhouse. There are many varieties and sizes of greenhouses that you can build. A perfect idea for spring and summer gardening!