Extreme Recycling

I recently posted here with a tip on reducing garbage disposal cost by using low-volume service, which saves us $10 a month. It has also led us to be more vigilant at recycling, which means we've avoided the extra item fee of $20 for things that don't fit at least twice so far.

How are we able to use low-volume service? Well, for starters, we use cloth (unless a baby-sitter comes over). We also compost. We got a stainless steel countertop composter (it sits in the corner next to our dish drainer and really doesn't stick out, since the drainer is stainless steel) which works wonderfully at keeping compostables until there are enough to make it worth going outside. The charcoal filter in the lid prevents odors (as long as the lid is on, obviously).

And, we recycle - as much as possible. We do more than the standard glass, paper, cans, etc. Here are some examples of things we recycle that most people don't know is possible:
Styrofoam - EPS packaging can be taking to a participating recycler
Shoes - shoes can be recycled in a variety of ways. Shoes with wear still left in them can go to various charities. We typically wear our shoes into the ground, so something like Reuse-A-Shoe is a better option. Many municipalities collect shoes at solid waste sites (which is where we'll take ours) for reuse as athletic surfaces, or as oil spill absorbers.
CDs/DVDs/"Techno-Trash" - very few places have drop-offs for this type of trash. Recycling these may take a little extra effort, and some money, but environmentally it's the right thing to do. CD Recycling Center and CD Recycling for Free take CDs and DVDs only. Green Disk will take anything - cords, computer parts, CDs, the cases, and more ($6.95 plus the cost of shipping for 20 pounes). Office Depot offers a Tech Recycling service (three sizes: $5, $10, $15) where you pick up a box, fill it, and drop it off.
Plastic Bags and More - in Minnesota, many places participate in the "It's in the Bag" program, which takes more than just plastic shopping bags: bread, cereal, and frozen food bags; Ziploc bags (without the hard zipper part, but the press and seal style is fine); shrink wrap; and the plastic wrap from paper towels, toilet paper, etc are all acceptable.
Useful Stuff - Of course, there's the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Craigslist, FreeCycle, Freepeats and other similar sites are great ways to get rid of stuff. We've found people that will take things that even thrift stores won't, such as our old garbage door opener, random scrap lumber that was left by the previous owners, and more. Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other places are great ways to get rid of gently-used items as well.
Chemicals - Several local waste facilities host recycling of these types of things: cleaners, paints, etc. You can either try listing these items on a free site listed below, or check to see if your local hazardous waste facility accepts them as part of a materials exchange. At ones near where we live, you can drop off the items and pick up others that other people have dropped off.


Any other ideas for recycling little-known items? It may take a little more time and effort than throwing things away, but in the long run it's just good global citizenship.