VCR Tapes
Do not place VCR tapes in curbside recycling. Recycle VCR tapes at a special drop off recycling program, specialized recycling company or place in the trash.
VCR tapes should never be placed in your curbside recycling.
The film tape is a tangler that jams the sorting machines at the material recovery facility (MRF) and the hard outer shell is not recoverable or recyclable in a curbside collection.
Cuyahoga County residents can recycle unwanted VHS and cassette tapes at the Solid Waste District. The District accepts these items year-round at 4750 East 131 Street in Garfield Heights. Drop items off in the lobby during business hours Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM-4:30 PM or Second Saturdays. Look for the labeled collection bin. No bags or boxes in the recycling bin, please. Place items loose in our lobby drop box and take all bags, boxes and containers home with you.
Learn more about special recycling programs at the Solid Waste District.
Acceptable materials include video home system (VHS), audio cassette tapes, digital audio tape (DAT), digital linear tape (DLT), beta, digibeta, VHS-C, HI-8 and mini-DV. Items are recycled by Greendisk. The company offers a mail-back service recycling program.
Locally, there are some specialized plastics recyclers that may be willing to accept the hard plastic outer shell as a special drop-off item and recycle it for a small fee. You would be required to remove the film and dispose of it in the trash. Residents and businesses can find a list of options for post-industrial and post-consumer plastic in the Business tab below.
If you choose not to recycle your tapes, place them in the regular trash for disposal.
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Looking to recycle, donate or dispose of other items? Use the dark blue 'What Do I Do With?' search bar at the top of every page of this website. Allow location services or use the city drop-down to find opportunities in your local area.