At AT:Home Tech, we strive to be of good service to you, our loyal readers. elizabeth in AL asked us where to recycle her hair straightener--and we came up with an answer that works for more than just hair straighteners!
A bit of research showed some great cities that recycle them (or at least related curling irons), and some that didn't...and her home state of AL proved basically impossible to figure out either way.
But our green desires kept us pushing to find an answer, so we referenced our previous article on recycling and dug into the database to find a recycler. Finally, we had success! Read on to learn about the option we found...
You can send your hair straighteners and many other items to:
Clean Earth Recycling
2028 W. 11th Street
Upland, CA 91786-3509
Give them a call at 909.949.8025 to find out if what you want to recycle is something they accept at no charge. We spoke with Erin, who let us know that they break down all the parts and then send them on to specialized recyclers. They even work with an LG plant located in Alabama to recycle their unused parts, so you don't need to live in their immediate area to take advantage of this service.
What's this going to cost elizabeth in AL? Well, if she can fit it in a flat rate priority envelope, which is 9.5" x 12.5", perhaps by reinforcing it with packing tape to bend it to her will, it'll cost her only $4.60.
If she needs to send it in her own packaging, estimating the weight to be 1 lb. 4 oz.
based on this model, her best bet is parcel post, for $6.15.
elizabeth lamented that she doesn't live in CA where these options abound, but she's definitely game for mailing it to the recyclers there.
Image from gadjoboy.
Not recycling per se, but donating these types of things to your local Goodwill is also a great alternative. I saw lots of curling irons and such for sale on my last visit.
view Kelly's profile
yeah, my problem is i sat it on a plastic basket - d'oh! - and it's covered in plastic - i tried my best to get it all off (believe me, the thing cost 100 dollars and i have a hard time justifying spending 100 on anything...) but it just didn't work.
view elizabeth in AL's profile
Just a note from an eBay nerd: USPS will only let you use a single strip of tape to seal a flat rate Priority envelope. And that doesn't mean using a 10-foot piece and mummifying the envelope with it.
view Anne in Chicago's profile
stink!
view elizabeth in AL's profile
I have been turned away from a USPS counter for using a single strip of tape on a flat rate envelope. Disgruntled worker said no tape allowed. On the other hand, at other post offices I have mummified many flat rate envelopes with no problems at all. So there you go.
view mjoe's profile
Okay, searching usps.com for this information, I don't see anything about a single piece of tape, so either they changed their policy or I invented it (quite possibly the latter). They do say, though, "The design /shape of the envelope or the box may not enlarged by any means.
Note: Turning a flat envelope into a small "box" shape by including bulky items is a method of enlarging the dimensions and is not an acceptable use of the Flat Rate envelopes." So that would preclude using tape to bend the envelope to your will.
http://tinyurl.com/3d6hsf
view Anne in Chicago's profile
D'oh! Thanks for researching Anne...I guess I've been lucky with what I've been able to get away with (not a box, per se, but not a nice flat envelope, either).
view kate's profile
Yeah, it's not something that would ever even had occurred to me had it not come up with a package I was sending.
view Anne in Chicago's profile
hmm... i've always used fedex when sending stuff to my buddies in france and all my envelopes are crammed full of oddly shaped items. and covered in tape! good to know about usps, though. thanks guys, and california is going to get my MaxiGlide.
view elizabeth in AL's profile
FedEx doesn't do flat rate, though, so they don't care what it's actually like. They just provide the packaging to encourage using their services, and for branding, which is related to using their services.
view kate's profile
thanks for the info, kate!
view elizabeth in AL's profile