Can you recycle photographs

If your photograph tears in layers rather than cleanly ripping apart like pages in a magazine, you have an old-school photograph in your hands. When recycling modern-day prints, the same challenges exist as with recycling other mixed and glossy papers.

That sheen on your prints — and the appealing gloss of a brand-new magazine — actually comes from a clay-based coating. Some recycling centers use technologies to separate these coatings during the pulping process, while others do not.

Generally speaking, if you can recycle mixed paper in your area, you should also be able to recycle your prints if they pass the tear-test. To avoid contaminating your local recycling stream, do not put older photos into the recycling bin and opt for reuse instead. Some brands, such as HP Everyday Glossy Photo Paper , can be recycled with other mixed paper and produce crisp, vivid images comparable to professional prints. Just be sure to confirm that your local recycling stream accepts mixed paper before tossing these papers into the blue bin.

Since most photo centers no longer use chemical film processing methods, the majority of those matte digital prints you order from big-box stores and pharmacies can also be recycled with other mixed paper. Before ordering your prints, ask a photo center representative what kind of paper is used and whether or not it can be recycled to avoid a future disposal dilemma. If you already have a shoebox filled with old, non-recyclable photographs, try one of these reuse options before tossing them in the trash.

Donate: If your photos are not of a personal or sensitive nature, you may be able to donate them to elementary schools, daycares, or after-school programs in your area for use in craft projects. Hang earrings from the tiny ears of people in photographs and use them to present gifts of jewelry. Picture negatives can be used to make earrings, lamp shades, candle holders, bows or ribbons for gift-wrapped packages and woven baskets. They can also get new life in craft projects.

Try using them to make purses, room dividers, night lights, curtains or even very memorable business cards. If old photographs in your collection depict interesting or important people or events, you might be able to donate them to an organization that will preserve them.

Your local historical society might appreciate pictures that show how your town has changed over the years. Veterans groups may be able to take photographs of people who served in wars. Old pictures may have value to crafters and creative types. You may be able to sell them at flea markets or on websites like eBay. You can also see if an organization that specializes in supplying recycled craft supplies to DIYers.

Even everyday snapshots may be meaningful to someone. Cohen Collection. Some are memorable: women with guns and other weapons, children portraying poignant childhood moments. The only thing they have in common is Cohen believes they reveal a little piece of Americana, and were once meaningful to someone for some reasons.

Glossy photographs are often made with a plastic, so cannot be recycled because the plastic would contaminate paper recycling. You can donate old photographs with historical value to organizations like the Society of American Archivists. These organizations want to preserve family histories and share them with others. You can make at-home printing more eco-friendly by using cotton rag paper. A cunning way to pass your old photographs on to people is to make gift cards with them.

It would certainly make a fun, unique and personalised Birthday card for someone! Failing that — again, depending on age — can you stick them onto gift cards and caption them for birthdays etc? A school or local heritage centre might be interested? Hi again — in regards to the leather albums, we would suggest using freecycle or gum tree, or an upcycle project! Unfortunately older photos are not recyclable due to chemicals used in the process.

Hope this helps. What about you — what have you done with old photographs and albums, have you found a way to recycle them?