Recycling Made Easy

Recycling -- it's not a new concept. We've been recycling as long as we can remember. Crunching those soda cans and hauling them off to the recycling center near the neighborhood grocery store, then taking the cash and buying a candy bar.

But now, when we talk about recycling, we're going far behind soda cans.

What about recycling computers? Refrigerators? Shoes? Cell phones? Today, if you hunt hard enough, you can recycle almost anything.

If you need proof, take a look at this short video clip from a recent episode of the Today Show -- in it, Grist's Katharine Wroth and Chip Giller teach Meredith Viera how to recycle all kinds of head-scratching odds and ends.

We won't spoil the whole clip; but, here are some of the highlights:

• Your sneakers can be recycled through a Nike operation called Reuse A Shoe --they'll then be turned into all sorts of sports surfaces (outdoor basketball courts for one).
• And your computers can be recycled through take back programs at Dell, Apple and HP.

So what about even larger items -- refrigerators for example?

First, check with local agencies. Communities like Austin, TX and Berkeley, CA are lucky enough to have local organizations capable of recycling large appliances. If you strike out there, try 1-800-Got-Junk. They have operations popping up all across the US, and, according to their mission statement, they will make every effort to recycle or donate what they haul away.

What's the strangest/most difficult thing you've ever successfully recycled?