Green Tip 29: Don't Burn it, Back it Up!

REDUCE CD/DVD WASTE

It is estimated that American consumers buy about 1 billion CDs every year and most eventually end up in landfills. Since CDs are a mix of polycarbonate, plastic and aluminum, they don’t easily break down and are not easily recycled. They are also not biodegradable, so they won’t break down in landfills and when incinerated they release toxic fumes into the air.
 
Source: About.com
 
These days there are mush better options to listening to music, watching movies or backing up your computer work and photos:
  • Buy an external back up drive for your computer files and work.  They are getting bigger and cheaper and can be used to store files for years.
  • Download music
  • Watch movies / TV online
  • Buy used movies / CDs whenever possible
  • Some people reuse old CD/DVDs in artwork
  • Recycle them - find a location near you where you can drop off old discs to be recycled 
Some ideas on where to recycle them:

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