Audio cassette tapes and video tapes (such as VHS or Beta) have become obsolete with the fast pace of today's technological changes. What do we do with them once we have updated to the latest media?
Video and audio tapes consist of a combination of materials which makes them tricky to recycle, but with a little effort it can be done - see 'Recycle' below for more details. If you’re interested in how to reduce, reuse or recycle the outer cassette tape cases go to: Tape Casette Cases.
Reduce | Reuse | Recycle | Facilities
How do I go green?
Reduce
It’s now easy to purchase music online using iTunes or other websites. This eliminates the need for tapes all together, which saves the world from stacks of plastic. If burning music onto CDs, use envelopes to store them rather than thick cases.
Reuse
You'll find some other re-use ideas at: How to Dispose of Old Cassette Tapes
Recycle
Tapes can only be recycled if you remove the screws and stretchy magnetized tape first. Once the tape box has been taken apart and the screws and magnetized tape have been removed, the plastic can go into your Blue Box. The metal screws do not go into the blue box but can be reused or brought to any metal recycling facility. Go to Metal for a list of metal recycling facilities. The stretchy magnetized tape film is garbage. When throwing your tape film in the trash, make them less of a hazard to wildlife by cutting the tape film into short lengths. The long strands of tape film can easily tangle in the feet and around the necks of birds that frequent landfills.
Rigid plastic outer protective tape cases can be recycled in your Blue Box, the same way you recycle other rigid plastics. Paper sleeves and paper inserts can go into your Blue Bag.
Facilities
Hartland Recycling Facility
# 1 Hartland Avenue
Victoria
250-360-3030
Pacific Mobile Depots
Victoria
250-893-3851
The Environmental Story
The outer protective cases are often made of Polystyrene. Polystyrene is made using benzene, a known human carcinogen. Benzene is released into the air if the polystyrene is burned. Polystyrene makes up a significant part of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a slowly rotating collection of plastic in the centre of the North Pacific Ocean Gyre. There are 3.3 million pieces of plastic per square kilometre in the garbage patch. Over 8 billion kilograms of plastic ends up in our oceans each year, much of it polystyrene. These plastics don’t biodegrade, but rather break into increasingly smaller pieces, which can cause harm or death to sea birds, fish, turtles and other marine life. Using as little polystyrene as possible, and recycling what you do acquire in a responsible manner, is one of the best things you can do for the health of our marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
Did You Know?
E Stewards
The Basel Action Network is an organization dedicated to upholding the Basel Convention, which bans the export of hazardous waste to developing countries. BAN has developed an independently accredited list of e-Stewards, leading North American electronics recyclers who uphold the highest standard of environmental and social responsibility. By using an e-Steward, you can be assured your computer parts are being recycled in a responsible manner.
Save the Date!
This year, Hartland Happening is on Sunday June 24th.
10:30 am to 3:00 pm
Click here for more details
Questions? Call the CRD Hotline.
We can answer your questions on the Hartland landfill, composting, household hazardous waste, recycling and more!
t: 250.360.3030
toll-free: 1.800.663.4425 #3030
Go blue. It's the right thing to do.
Use CRD Blue Boxes & Bags at the curb.