NGM Blog Central - Disc Demolition - National Geographic Magazine

Count your damaged and unwanted CDs and DVDs. Multiply by millions of folks like you. Add in the business world’s used data CDs and music, video game, and movie returns. The total is billions of trashed discs a year. How do you keep them out of the landfill?

Some recycling firms buy big batches of discs from businesses. The prize is the polycarbonate plastic covering the reflective data layer. Typically, a chemical bath removes ink, lacquer, and aluminum. The plastic is then melted and molded into eyeglass frames, car parts, and fences. Alas, says Darby Hoover of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the eco-impact of these steps is “hard to track”—especially at facilities in China.

Big-time recyclers aren’t as interested in an individual’s wee array of bum discs. San Francisco is one of the few American cities that picks up CDs curbside for recycling. If you don’t mind paying postage, you can mail your discs to GreenDisk or the CD Recycling Center of America. If you do mind, be patient: Drop-off boxes are arriving at some chain stores.

Another option is to revive damaged discs. The Disc-Go-Devil device gets rid of scratches by buffing the plastic surface. Video-rental firms use the technology; stores may soon offer it. So, marred CDs and DVDs can live on until the day when all media is downloaded. By then there should be safe, convenient ways to recycle discs.—Marc Silver

Photo: Bound for recycling, unsold DVDs and music CDs are chipped to foil pirates. Photograph by Mark Thiessen, NG Photographer.

Posted by National Geographic Staff | Comments (0)
Filed Under: Environment, Wide Angle

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