25 Unexpected Items You Can Recycle

The EPA reports that the U.S. produces around 292 million tons of waste annually, and this number continues to rise. As Earth Day approaches on April 22, here are some surprising items you might have been discarding that, with a bit of effort, can be recycled to benefit the environment.

1. False Teeth

Dentures often contain valuable metals like gold, silver, and palladium. The Japan Denture Recycling Association specializes in collecting old dentures, extracting these metals for recycling, and safely disposing of the remaining materials (which cannot be reused). Proceeds from this initiative are donated to UNICEF.

2. Festive Lighting

Have old, burnt-out holiday lights? The team at HolidayLEDs.com will happily accept them, shred the materials, and separate the PVC, glass, and copper. These raw materials are then sent to another facility for recycling and reuse.

3. Shaving Razors

While razors are made of plastic and metal, most curbside recycling programs don’t accept them. However, you can send used razors, blades, and plastic packaging (from any brand) to TerraCycle, which collaborates with Gillette to recycle these materials.

4. Hotel Soap Bars

Many hotels don’t discard the partially used soap bars you leave behind. Instead, they send them to Clean the World, where the soap is sanitized, steamed, and tested for safety. Once approved, it’s distributed to communities worldwide. So, think twice before taking hotel soap—it might be destined for a charitable cause.

5. Bed Mattresses

Instead of sending your old box spring to a landfill, consider recycling it. Specialized mattress recycling facilities use advanced tools to dismantle mattresses, separating wood, metal, foam, and fabric. Metal springs are extracted with magnets, wood is turned into chips, and fabric and foam are shredded and compressed. Your worn-out mattress could be transformed into items like a stylish sundress or even wallpaper. Availability of recycling services depends by state.

6. Used Cooking Oil

After frying up a batch of French fries at home, you might be tempted to pour the used oil down the drain. However, this is a bad idea—nearly half of sewer overflows result from fat and oil buildup. Some U.S. curbside programs and municipal waste stations accept used cooking oil, which is often sent to biodiesel plants to be converted into fuel.

7. Used Diapers

The average baby goes through 6000 diapers before potty training, contributing one ton of landfill waste per child. However, not all diapers end up this way. Knowaste collects and recycles soiled diapers from hospitals, nursing homes, and public restrooms. They sanitize the diapers, separate the organic material, and recycle the plastic into pellets for roof shingles. The paper pulp is repurposed into wallpaper and shoe soles.

8. Compact Discs

CDs are composed of polycarbonate plastic, which doesn’t break down in landfills. If you send them to GreenDisk, an e-waste recycler, they’ll shred the discs into powder, melt it, and repurpose it into plastic for automotive parts, building materials, or even pavement.

9. Worn-Out Footwear

Donate your old sneakers to Nike Grind, and they’ll be transformed into materials for running tracks. Nike’s recycling process involves breaking down shoes into rubber, foam, and fabric. The rubber is repurposed for track surfaces, the foam becomes cushioning for tennis courts, and the fabric is used to pad basketball courts. Many local waste stations also accept shoes in their textile recycling bins.

10. Animal Waste

Instead of using animal waste for fertilizer or trash, why not turn it into greeting cards or artificial flower bouquets? PoopooPaper specializes in converting poop from herbivores like cows, horses, and elephants into creative products such as cards, bookmarks, keychains, magnets, and even jewelry.

11. Old Trophies

Do you have a collection of plastic bowling trophies from your childhood? If they no longer spark joy, recycle them through Lamb Awards, a Maryland-based company. They dismantle old trophies, melting or repurposing the materials to create new awards.

12. Human Fat (Warning: Illegal) 

If not for legal issues, the U.S. could harness its cosmetic surgery trend to address energy needs. In 2008, a Beverly Hills surgeon was fired after police discovered he was powering his car with biofuel made from patients' liposuctioned fat. (He even marketed it online as "LipoDiesel.") This isn’t the first instance of fat-powered transport: In 2007, conservationist Peter Bethune used 2.5 gallons of human fat to fuel his eco-boat, Earthrace.

13. Aluminum Foil

Foil is one of the most commonly discarded recyclable materials. (The EPA reports that Americans discard approximately 1.5 million tons of aluminum products annually.) Since foil is 100-percent aluminum, it can be recycled alongside aluminum cans, provided it’s thoroughly cleaned of food residue. However, confirm with your local recycling facility to ensure they can process it, as not all are equipped to do so.

14. Broken Crayons

Don’t throw away those worn-out Crayolas! Send them to the National Crayon Recycle Program, where they’re melted down, reshaped, and resold. This initiative has already diverted over 120,000 pounds of crayons from landfills.

15. Roof Shingles

Over 10 million tons of shingles are discarded annually. Since most are asphalt-based, more than two dozen states crush and recycle them into pavement. Recycling one ton of shingles saves a barrel of oil.

16. Deceased Pets

In Germany, where burying pets in public areas is illegal, pet owners can opt to recycle their departed companions. A rendering plant near Neustadt an der Weinstraße processes deceased pets, converting animal fat into glycerin for use in cosmetics like lip balm.

17. Unused Prescription Medications

Expired prescription drugs should be disposed of properly, but what about unneeded pills that are still usable? Some states allow you to return unused medications to pharmacies. Certain charities also accept leftover HIV drugs from individuals who have changed prescriptions, stopped treatment, or passed away. These medications are sent abroad to help people living with HIV worldwide.

18. Old Fishing Line

Fishing line is composed of monofilament, a non-biodegradable plastic that can’t go in regular recycling bins. Berkley Fishing collects and recycles old fishing line, combining it with materials like milk cartons and plastic bottles to create habitats for fish. To date, Berkley has recycled over 9 million miles of fishing line.

19. Wine Corks

While most recycling centers don’t accept wine corks, organizations like Terracycle do. They process corks into flat tiles suitable for flooring, walls, and veneer. Another initiative, ReCORK, has repurposed over 4 million corks by donating them to SOLE, a Canadian sandal manufacturer.

20. Old Pantyhose

Pantyhose are typically made from nylon, a recyclable thermoplastic that takes over 40 years to break down. Companies such as Swedish Stockings recycle old nylons by grinding them into material used for industrial pipes and furniture.

21. Used Toothbrushes

When you purchase a plastic toothbrush from Preserve (made from recycled Stonyfield Farms yogurt cups and other materials), they’ll accept your old toothbrush and recycle it into plastic lumber, giving it a new purpose.

22. Old Tennis Balls

reBounces breathes new life into used tennis balls. If you have at least 200 balls in decent condition, the company provides a prepaid shipping label to send them in. They repressurize the balls for reuse, while completely worn-out balls are recycled into rubber material to build new tennis courts.

23. Yoga Mats

Most yoga mats are crafted from PVC, the same material used in plumbing pipes, heavy-duty tarps, and rain boots. While many yoga studios accept used mats to give them a second life, Sanuk has a unique approach: they recycle old yoga mats into comfortable flip-flops and sandals.

24. Outdated Currency

Governments have systems for handling old, worn-out money. (For example, in 2016, the Indian government shredded old bills and repurposed them into hardboard.) But what about currency that’s no longer valid? You can donate obsolete currencies like French francs, Spanish pesetas, or Dutch guilders to Parkinsons UK, which recycles the coins and banknotes.

25. Pet Fur and Hair

The pet hair clinging to your sweaters, furniture, and carpets could play a role in protecting oceans from oil spills. Hair is highly effective at absorbing oil (as demonstrated by hairball booms used during the 2010 BP oil spill). Non-profits like San Francisco’s Matter of Trust collect pet fur to create oil-absorbing mats from your pet’s shed hair.