Having recently discussed old hard disks, it seems time to talk about floppies and CD/DVD ROMS. We probably all have some of them around, maybe even lots of them, and we might or might not still have any equipment that will read them. Such is what’s called “progress” in the computer world.
The most interesting thing I discovered in researching this topic is that old floppy discs actually have some value, in large enough quantities. Some large organizations, including the U.S. government, still use floppy disks for data storage. In a controlled environment, they can hold their data for some time, and they are not subject to Internet hacking.
There is at least one outfit I found, called Floppydisk.com, in Lake Forest, California, that buys and sells floppy disks. They will accept any quantity, and any disk size, for recycling, but you need at least 100 of them to get paid. If you have at least 200, they will also reimburse the shipping costs. That could possibly make an excellent program for a small group fundraiser. Collect old disks from the members, and send the entire packet to Floppydisk.com. They will take up to 100,000 at a time!
Floppydisk.com first puts the disks they get through a degausser, that thoroughly erases them. They then re-format them and sell them for re-use. If the disks won’t re-format, they’re sold for promotional uses or art projects and the like. Actually recycling the components is very difficult and expensive because there are so many different materials in them, and the magnetic media itself is not recyclable. They are considered e-waste, and must be handled by someone who deals with e-waste.
For a fee, Floppydisk.com will also recover data from old floppies or Zip disks, and they will accept Zip disks for recycling.
CDs and DVDs are more difficult. floppydisk.com does not accept them, nor can they be put into the blue bins for curbside pickup. They are still listed on the Goodwill Website, along with vinyl records, but it’s not clear how they will actually deal with these items. They could also be used for home or school art projects, or by places like the Share Center, or one of the local organizations working with people who have disabilities.
To remove data from a CD, you just need to scratch off the painted side (which is where the data actually lives), until bare plastic shows through. I use a wire wheel on my bench grinder, but any method will do. You can also just drill a few holes in them, or physically break them to render them unreadable. Note that drilling, scratching, or breaking them will make CDs, DVDs, or records unusable to others. If you do that, they become trash.
To my knowledge, nobody is recycling VHS or data tapes. They are e-waste.
The Recycle Bin is a weekly column on what to recycle, what not to recycle, and why, in Brunswick. The public is encouraged to submit questions by email to brunsrecycleinfo@gmail.com. Harry Hopcroft is a member of the Brunswick Recycling and Sustainability Committee.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
