How can I reuse or recycle VHS video tapes?
I’ve always been a film fanatic and amassed quite a collection of videos over the years until DVDs came along. Most of my pre-recorded ones were given away and the ones we recorded ourselves went to live in the attic along with the VCR itself. A couple of years on, they’re still up there.
I hadn’t thought of them though until I posted the blog on televisions a couple of weeks ago then Brian emailed to say he had a similar collection of now-redundant tapes too – and now here we are: how can we reuse or recycle video tapes?
Best Suggestions
- Pass Them On: offer pre-recorded videos to your local charity shop or on Freecycle – not everyone’s made the switch to DVD and it’s a cheap way for them to pick up entertainment for free/cheap. Some charity shops don’t accept them any more because no one buys them – it differs from shop to shop and between areas.
- Reuse: Crafters have used the tape for crocheting or weaving. The resulting fabric if often used for retro-style bags or purse. Gardeners also use strips of video to deter birds from attacking seedlings.
- Recycle: Some recycling schemes do exist but they tend to be private and only available in a limited area (due to postage/transport costs). Details of some schemes are below.
- See the comments below for more suggestions and ideas
(Photo by vierdrie)
Use them in the garden for scaring birds.
String out over your veg plot to scare away birds.
Learn about how they recycle stuff in Sweden!
http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2007/01/monday-january-29th-2007-recycling.html
How about using the actual tape to weave bags, bracelets or maybe a door mat/ kneeling pad for gardening.
what a waste of valuble video tapes sell them on ebay give them to charity shop
You can post unwanted VHS casettes boxes and all to:
The Recycling People
Unit 1 Wolf Business Park
Alton Road
Ross-on-Wye
Herefordshire
HR9 5NB
The hard plastic cases are reground and recycled as are the cases and any cardboard inserts, any metal parts are also recycled. The tape is currently non-recylable.
There is a charge for this service (£5.85 for up to 50 pieces).
For further details contact recycle@keymood.co.uk.
They also take CD,DVD and audio cassettes.
£5.85 for 50 pieces (plus the colossal cost of postage, and of course, the attendant environmental impact of the transportation) … or I *could* just put drip-feed them (say, 10 a week) into the household refuse collection and get the council to chuck them onto a landfill at zero (extra) cost to myself. hmmm… which option seems more attractive….
Once again it would seem as if money is the root of the problem in disposing of video tapes. Why shold people pay to get rid of recyclable items. If they are being recycled and made into reusable parts then the great “Recycling People” of Ross-on-Wye who are earning good money to run a buisness should pay those who bring in the raw materials just like the metals industry or take them in for nothing for a start and it would help encourage the clear up of video tapes. If people new that they could get money for their old video tapes we could end this problem and earn a little and the great “Recycling People” of Ross-on-wye would never be out of buisness. But as it stands it would appear that greed once again is destroying our planet. Does anybody with any clowt in the English and Scotish goverment come to this web site. Maybe the goverment could help The Recycling People of Ross-on-wye with starting up a new stratagy of taking videos free of charge and maybe later move on to actually paying for video tapes once they have developed a market for reusable plastics. Is there a market for reusable plastics?
thanks for this I’ll look into it
As a year 2 Ba Product Designer I found that the cases of VHS tapes could be made into a DVD storage tower. Plenty of irony there. the tape could be used to make a fly stopper for above a door and the spools make nice yoyos
i would love to know how to make a dvd tower out of vhs cases
me too!
Cindy at http://www.myrecycledbags.com/ has crocheted bags out of old VHS tape. A description of the making process and patterns are available from her website – well worth a look if you’re craft-y!
-louisa
Thanks for adding my link to this thread. I also have patterns for crocheting with old cassette tapes. Check it out at http://www.myrecycledbags.com/ for full details and free patterns.
Is there any danger in letting grand kids play with them? I was wondering about mercury or magnet stuff. They have make spiderwed all over my house. Also used them as streamers on a stick, almost as good as firework ‘sparklers’
Send unwanted laser discs and VHS tapes to GreenDisk. GreenDisk is a large company involved in commercial electronic media reuse and recycling located in Washington; they are also willing to absorb your personal laser discs and VHS tapes into their waste-reprocessing stream. Your tapes will be degaussed and resold to cities and police departments for surveillance tapes; your discs will be shredded and sold for plastics reuse.
Nice suggestion Tricia, but with a collection numbering near on a thousand tapes and being a non-driver I’m not going to work for the next coule of years simply to pay the paostage!
I was just investigating how we could recycle our old video collection. Here’s a website that has a list of recycling options. Maybe one will work for you… http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cd/recycle/options/mvid.htm I don’t know where you live but you could check out the nearest county that may have a place to recycle and then the next time you are in the area you could drop them off. Good Luck!
hi anne,
i read your post on the recycle site in which you mentioned that you have a old video tape collection you want to recycle/get rid off?
do you still have them?>
if so is it possdible to arrange a p+p service which i will of course pay for because i collect old tapes?
i am for real, so if you are willing please get in contact asap.
thanks
regards
Trevor
i have over 300 videos do you want them? I live in nottingham!
hi do you still have these as we will collect free they will go for recycling
hi bernie
we have around 500 various old but unused tapes that we want to recycle – pls post or send full info of who you are & waht you do,
cheers
dickon
would you still want to recycle my collection? some good films on there if they’re of any use, otherwise just for recycling! pinkyandthebrain2000@hotmail.com
Hi Bernie, are you still taking video tapes for recycling? If so I have some that are not useable and would be happy to post to you.
Please could you let me know and if you are please email your address.
Kind regards
Dawn
Do you still want old tapes – where are you ? I am going through our old collection – I have >100 ready for disposal, and another 3-400 which I am reviewing
Hi Trevor
what sort of videos do you want? I have proper recorded and “off the TV2 recorded.
I just want rid of them – are you interested in any of them? pls advise. thanks
Liz
Do you still need VHS tapes? I have a load to get rid of.
Let me know if so!
Sam
I have 2000 VHS tapes I want to sell.
Let me know if you are interested.
Trevor,
Are you still wanting old video tapes I have about 50, mainly films which I have bought other the years?
trevor wrote:
do you still collect old tapes? I have some old recordable ones which I’ve used to record tv programmes and no longer require. You are very welcome to them if you so wish.
are you still looking for tapes? i have a collection you can have pinkyandthebrain2000@hotmail.com
I have over 200 tapes that I am looking to dispose of or recycle if you are interested?
Kind Regards
well after reading thru all of that they are def going in the bin, obviously no uses for them
If you are in the London area, you can drop off VHS tapes at the address below for LaundryBiz to recycle
This is from their website – keep reading past the post-them-to-us option instructions…and they say you can drop them off at the same address.
http://www.thelaundry.biz
Get all your old CDs, DVDs, CDRs, VHS and cassette tapes together (the plastic cases and inlay cards are fine too) (but no floppy disks. Although did you know that South Africans apparently call them ’stiffies’ – How rude).
Put them in a box or a sturdy envelope.
If you can write the weight of the package on there too we will love you very much.
Take them to the post office and post them to:
The Laundry CD Recycling
London Recycling
4d North Crescent
Cody Road
London
E16 4TG
Here is a map, it’s marked sorting facility.
Or you can print off a label if you put the right sized label in your printer:
Avery L7162 (3.39 x 9.9 cm) – will open in word
Avery L7905 (9.3 x 21 cm) – will open in word
If you have masses of CDs etc you can drop them off to the same address, as long as its Monday-Friday during office hours.
Please note that the above address is only for CDs, DVDs, CDRs, VHS and cassette tapes recycling! For everything else contact us at:
The Laundry, BedZED Centre, 24 Helios Road, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 7BZ.
If in doubt call the lovely Rachel on 020 8404 6330
I’m really sorry – we don’t offer this service any more, our reprocessor pulled out and we can’t find anywhere else to take them.
Apologies,
Rachel
hi if you have any that you need collecting let me know
Hi Bernie,
Just found this forum and seen your comment. Do you want about 500 video tapes and can you arrange transport of these to yourself?
John.
i need lots of VHS tapes for something im making at art school. email me if you still want rid of them.
yuilelaura@hotmail.com
Hi Laura
I have dozens of old video cassettes (and audio) in the loft. Do you still need them for your project? I live in the north London/Herts area.
Regards.
Sarah
I thought that VHS tapes were highly flammable. Surely recycling them into crocheted bags etc..etc., whilst highly imaginative, would prove to be a fire hazard?
Due to the high cost of stripping out the innards of a VHS tape for recycling the plastic parts nobody seems to want to touch them due to no profits gained from the plastic due to the expensive labour cost. I cannot believe that some companies ship them abroad for disposal.
Here is my suggestionfor VHS Tape Recycling which needs to be put in place NOW before everyone landfills their tapes…
Local councils to collect say upto 5 tapes at a time in our home recycle boxes and give them to the criminals on community service to strip apart! You never know the judges could be sentencing these people to 1000 VHS tape-hours instead of the easy jobs them sometimes get. This way they will have to work for their sentence and there would be no slacking. Obviously provide them with a screwdriver, a neon vest stating “naught boy” and safety goggles (to keep Health & Safety happy)
It may seem a joke but you would not want to do that job again in a hurry!
Joe.
what a good thourt , now that’s a bit of impressive lateral thinking
What a fantastic idea, although I do not think giving criminals screw drivers is a good idea. OK so now the criminals have broken down tons of old video tapes and all the different materials have been segregated what then, who is going to repress or melt down all the tons of plastic. Do you have an answer for this or have you read anything on this web sight from someone who can unlock the door to a recycling revolution. If so could you please contact me back as I must have the answers and then I can start ramming these ideas down the throats of these poor labour politicians. What has green peace come up with for this problem. Any reply would be gratful.
yours sincerely
Chris Andrews
Hmmmm…. I think I will get the tape out on my own and recycle the hard case. I hate throwing away stuffs (as simply garbage) too much.
Firstly I would like to know if anyone knows what different materials are used to make up a VHS video tape.
Once we have discovered what they are made of we can then look to see weather these materials can be melted or repressed ready to be made into new products. theoretically we are all sitting on a gold mine. surly someone from the industry of video manufacturers can lend a helping hand to get the ball rolling for us with there advice. I belive there are companies in america which are doing what we intend to do. but why should we have to ship this useless waste abroad.
Can someone please get back to me if any of my suggestion could have some light thrown on it as I would like to help with this problem.
yours sincerely
chris andrews.
Have a bunch of plastic boxes that you store the vhs tapes in. Does anyone have a crafting suggestion for them?
if you can not get rid contact me and i will collect large amounts free or you can post them to me we recycle them
I have a couple of VHS recorded from the TV keen to do better than binning them – I’m in Newcastle upon Tyne? Any good?
We’ve covered that in another post: How can I reuse or recycle … plastic VHS video cases?
Hope you find some useful suggestions/ideas there :)
-louisa :)
hi all we are recycling vhs tapes and the boxs plus old cds/dvds we will collect large amounts free for small amount we will make arangments this is only in the uk we take them apart and recycle the matrals of which there are seven in a vhs tape you can contact us through this site
How do you recycle VHS tapes? What do you use the materials for? I have about 35 you can have if you collect from Finsbury Park, north London.
hi just email you adress to me at
b_m_olliver@hotmail.com and i will make arangment to collect them
Hi do you collect from Bristol.
DID YOU HAVE ANY LUCK RECYCLING THE PLASTIC COVERS AND TAPES FROM THE VIDEOS.
AM IN BRISTOL TOO AND DON’T EVEN KNOW IF THE BLACK PLASTIC IS RECYCLABLE,LET ALONE THE TAPE ISIDE.
ANY IDEAS.
HAVE ABOUT 50 TO RECYCLE.
hi to recycle them they are taken apart the box they come in is melted do and reused for anything from plant pots boxes the paper sleves are sent for pulp the black part the main case go to coat angers /seed tray and lots more
the is also nylon inside the metal screws and springs got to metal scrap the tap go into blocks that are for low grade jobs hope this helps you the main cost is in collection and breaking down into the parts
hey can i melt down the tape plastic to make nylon rods for machining or does it need a special machine for etruding
hope to here from u soon
chris
Hi I have two large packing cases of VHS tapes (I think about 200 in each) to recycle. I live in Seven Kings Ilford, Essex (London)
Do you still have the VHS tapes to get rid of? I need tapes for an artwork im making for an exhibition in london in october.
I have a load of VHS tapes for recycling. Do you want them Laura? How shall I get in touch with you?
Hi Bernie,
I have around 100 vhs and around 100 cassettes. I live in Manchester, would they be of any use to you?
Tamara
are you still collecting vhs for recycling?
I have over 200 VHS tapes that I wish to dispose of or recycle. Please let me know. Kind Regards
Hi Bernie,
Are you still recycling VHS tapes? if so i’d be grateful if you would send me your address so that i can mail some to you.
Many thanks,
Christine
Do you still recycle video cassettes? I can mail them to you.
Regards Lyn Medcalf
hi all we recycle video tapes /cds/dvd/
please contact through this site this is only in the uk
Hi
i was very interested to see that you recycle vhs tapes – can you give me more info. I live i Luton – UK
thanks
Shahana
hi just email you adress to me at
b_m_olliver@hotmail.com and i will make arangment to collect them
i live in south yardley birmingham
do you collect from there
Hi, Im in the process of moving out and I have way too many videos from my collection. I have given them to charity shhops etc. but they dont even want them anymore. Anyone intersted in helping themselves to it they are more then welcome to,. I live in London near Kingston/Wimbeldon. Contact me at G_I_Lewis@hotmail.co.uk
I have taken apart hundreds of video tapes, once you take them apart you will discover they have a couple of cool parts. some have a small silver tube which I discovered quite by accident serves as a great crimping bead (not all of them crimp however)for the crafts I do with adults they hold feathers and leather lace together really well. some have white roller tubes which I save for kids beading crafts. I made floor length curtains for a halloween party once from the tape, created a trashy fashion outfit from the tape. I created a light box from gluing together the plastic covers &covering the windows with holloween pictured celephane( was not an easy one..)and not one I would try again but came out kinda cool, but fell apart rather quickly. The reels I donated to a reuse center…so if you only have a couple to get rid of take em apart or let the kids try it kids love taking things apart and they are facinated by learning how things work. a small screw driver is all you need.
there are ways to convert the old videos onto DVD’s. my dad did that, and works great!!! then you can use the tape to knit cute recycled jewelry or purses or accessories!!!
Bernie – sounds great what you do, but do you not have your own website?
i just came across the same problem. my sis and I did some summer cleaning in out rooms and our movies and TV shows collection and decided it was time to get ride of all our old VHS (which rounds up at about 100). i am only faced with one problem actually finding a place that recycle tapes in my country, a project which is getting harder by the minuth.
but i did think of an idea (though it is time consuming) taking the tapes apart and send each part like the plastic or the metal to the right companies. the only thing i need to do in order to be able to do this is to find out of what the tapes are made of.
any one has a clue?
Like a lot of people I’ve steadily replaced a lot of my videoes with DVD’s and as a result I’m now left with a mountain of vids. As previously discussed charity shops are unwilling to take them so I’ve donated a lot to old folks homes, local hospices, homeless shelters etc. They are always very grateful and it’s nice to know they’re going to a good home.
I’ve got 50 or so (more to come when I’ve sorted through them) VHS tapes that just have old TV and films on them. If anyone can use them, you’re welcome to them. I just don’t want to bin them – such a waste! I’ll deliver free within 10 miles of Norwich. Come to think of it, I’ll pay the postage so long as it’s in the UK!
Check out http://www.recyclenow.co.uk There is a company listed on their site called Keymood or something like that which recycles VHS tapes.
Get creative. There are so many useful things that VHS tapes can be turned into with a little imagination. For example:
1) Glue several hundred together into rectangular and square blocks then build into an arm chair. You can either remove all the inserts for that contemporary clear “plexiglass” effect, or go for a more street cred “alternative” look and leave them all the colourful inserts in.
2) Pull out all the tape and weave it into “rush” matting. Although flammable and unsuitable for use as an fossil fuel hearth rug, they do make fabulous contemporary flooring for the garden shed or workshop.
3) If these ideas seem like too much trouble, what about throwing the whole lot into your annoying neighbour’s garden during the night?
If you have any old tapes between 1997-2003 please email me joegarthus@hotmail.co.uk particuarly if you have the BBC One Balloon or BBC News between 1999-2003
Just to clarify, if I take the tapes apart myself and separate the parts out (I’ve just done it and it took about 2 mins) can I just put the plastic parts (the casing and reels) in the regular plastic recycling bins?
I’m in the UK btw.
It seems a waste of time if they’ll only bin it at the other end but if the only problem is separating it out, I can do that pretty easily.
Chris, Have you heard an answer yet? I’d like to do the same.
Cheers!
Bert
No, it doesn’t seem so.
I’ve gone ahead and recycled anyway – the only bit I threw away was the actual tape, the rest can be broken down quite easily – it’s quite gratifying and it has to be better than chucking the whole tape into landfill.
Bernie —
Just give us a hint on where you are in the UK. Not much point in me (in Yorkshire) getting all excited if you’re in (say) Cornwall.
I am needing a lot of VHS tapes, and need them over the next few weeks. I will take tapes from anyone in the glasgow or london area. I am making an artwork from video tape to exhibit in london in october.
any help would be greatly appreciated
oh, please email me on yuilelaura@hotmail.com if you do have any you want rid of. thanks!
Hi Laura
Do you still need video tape. i have about 50 to get rid of. i live in south London. Any use?
how did the exhibition go? and, dare I ask, do you need any more vhs tapes
Hi I e-mailed Bernie ages ago and he never got back to me, which is a shame.
I’m down in Cornwall miles from anywhere and I just want shot of these tapes I’ve got but I really don’t want to chuck them in the bin, it’s so frustrating.
I don’t know what to do with them I don’t have enough room to build a chair or a dvd rack, I have some issues with crocheting the potentially flammable/not really very good for you tape into a bag, I live in a first floor flat so theres plenty of annoying neighbours but no gardens to chuck the tapes in…..
Any Ideas at all?
Hi. Found a fab site for a company that recycles old cassette tapes into ‘listenable’ fabric
http://www.sonicfabric.com/faq.html
Video dress anyone?
…And here’s the link to a YouTube video tutorial to make your sonic fabric reader…very cool
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEqR_Pi9KQ4
http://www.manga-fu.com
Watch this video, its all about how you can recycle your old tech waste PROPERLY!!
:D
Hope it helps :)
Hi Bernie and Laura
I have about 50 video tapes I want to get rid of – are either of you interested?
Nina
Whats the score here..? Does anybody know what to do with these videos? Is this Bernie still taking tapes?
I have managed to donate my collection of audio and VHS tapes to my local charity shop – Sue Rider. Help the Aged also takes VHS tapes. It’s definitely worth phoning local charity shops to see if they’ll accept these items.
well done!!! do ont throw videos away
I have quite a few old vhs tapes which are old blank one’s which have been taped on. does anyone happen to know if it would be worth sending those to the charity shop, would they want them, as i’m pretty sure they wouldn’t sell? i really want to recycle them, but not sure the most effective way of going about it, any suggestions? thanks
hi Helen,I would suggest you record over them or send them to your caharity shop someone will want them.why do you wish to get rid of them videos are great
If you still want VHS and or audio tapes please let me know.
My email is marytalbot@talktalk.net
Oops, that was foolish!
Quick change of email address now I think!
I still want to get rid of my tapes though!
I’m still baffled by what to do with my VHS tapes – Would I be right in thinking the “official” ones might still find a home where they may be viewed. But I’m not prepared just to keep squirreling away the other ones in the rubbish. I’d like to dispose of them responsibly in Brighton.
andrew you want to get rid of your videos responsibly.Well i would surgest a charity shop,but do not throw them away!!!!