Categories: Recycle

Where to Donate or Recycle VHS & Cassette Tapes – WCI

Still have a stack of old VHS tapes taking up space in your house? Or even floppy disks, cassettes, and other old media from the yester-years?

I’m guilty of letting those things store up in my closet to far too long. Looking to do some cleaning out, like me? Here are ways you can recycle or reuse your old media with this week’s installment of Where Can I Wednesday!

Where to donate & recycle old media in Philadelphia:

Thrift Stores:

The eclectic Philly AIDS Thrift (710 S. 5^th St.) in Queen Village will take your old video tape collection, as well as old CDs and cassettes.
Check out the Whosoever Gospel Mission thrift shops too. The Lighthouse Thrift Shop (6515 Rising Sun Ave.) & Germantown Thrift Shop (101 E. Chelten Ave.) will also accept your old VHS’s and CDs.

Recycling Networks:

The Free Cycle Networkconnects millions of people around the world who are looking to give (or get) things for free. Check out Philadelphia’s group for local takers or the more specified groups for the neighborhoods of Center City, NW and W Philly too.
Try the Philly Freecycle Network group too. Started in 2003, members are still exchanging their unwanted pieces with neighbors who do. Post what you have to give away or search if someone is looking for what you have.

Recycling Centers:

If you’re up for a drive, the Recycling Services in Pottstown will take all of your old tapes and disks, as well as records and floppy disks. 365 Elm St., Pottstown, PA 19465
Green Disk is a one-stop shop for recycling all of your old VHS tapes and CDs (as well as other “technotrash” too!) Pack up and send in your old media and they’ll recycle it for you.
The CD Recycling Center of America will take your old, unwanted CDs and DVDs (as well as floppy disks, computer & printer cables, Christmas lights, and small electronics, but NOT VHS or cassette tapes this time). You can mail in your old media to their closest Recycling Center.

Just have CDs to get rid of? Here’s our list of organizations that will accept your old CDs!

Readers, any other organizations that accept or recycle used VHS and cassette tapes that we missed? Let us know in the comments.

Linh Kostiuk

Linh studies Architectural Technologies at Philadelphia University and spent a previous semester studying Sustainability in Copenhagen, Denmark. These experiences home and abroad inspired her to take a closer look at her personal impact on the environment and ways to lessen it. Whether she's reminding others to recycle or supporting local farmers markets, she knows those small steps can add up to a greater positive change.