Let’s face it, 99.9999% of us don’t use a product until the end of it’s life. Cellphones, laptops, desktops, furniture, you name it. You hear about those appliance- or electronics-recycling businesses but did you ever go to look up where they actually are? City of Toronto offers a list of non-profit agencies that collect some of these materials, as part of its ReUseIt Solid Waste Management campaign. Some of the most unlikely things can be donated to these places, like:
- batteries, rechargeable or non-rechargeable
- bedding
- bikes
- broken watches
- CDs, blank or not
- cork
- cork boards
- costume jewelery
- crayons
- DVDs, blank or not
- drinking bottles, refillable
- encyclopedias
- fabric, any size
- furniture
- gas mowers
- gas trimmers
- handtools
- hockey helmets
- jerseys
- jewelery
- keys
- mannequins (or mannequin parts)
- markers
- microwaves
- musical instruments
- novels
- pencils
- school supplies (e.g., pencil cases)
- sewing machines, in working condition
- textbooks
- workbooks
TDSB’s Artsjunktion
380 Ossington Ave.
(@College St.)
416-393-0894
eileen.orr@tel.tdsb.on.ca
Artsjunktion is an art program in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). They provide free materials for TDSB teachers, students and day-care staff for use in schools and classroom projects.
Acceptable Items: Children’s Books, National Geographic magazines, CDs, hub caps, mannequins and mannequin parts, hockey helmets, jerseys and skates. Almost anything that can be used for arts and crafts.
Materials for arts programs: broken watches, buttons, cork and cork boards, costume jewellery, crayons, dress-up clothing, fabric (remnants and large pieces), keys, markers, pencils, etc.
Computer and Electronics Recycling
- Diabetes Recycle Ink: Empty inkjet/laser printer cartridges and cellphones.
- Electronic Recycling Association (ERA): Computers and laptops. Donated computers will have their data wiped with RCMP standards before its refurbished and given to someone who cannot afford a new one.
- Interval House: Small appliances, computers, and other things (see website for more details).
- ReBoot Canada: Computer, computer components and parts, laptops, printers, scanners, software, etc. Donations will be refurbished and redistributed to charitable organizations.
- Renewed Computer Technology (RCT): Computer and peripherals. Refurbished and redistributed locally and globally.
- Salvation Army: Small appliances, microwaves, computers, and other things (see website for more details).
- SKETCH – Working Arts Studio for Street Involved and Homeless Youth: computers (Mac G4/PC Pentium 3 or better), peripherals, and other art supplies.
- thINK Food/Phones for Food: Cell phones, ink jet and laser cartridges.
