What to do with VCR?
You can try to extend its useful life, sell it to a collector or dispose of it for recycling.
A video cassette is a device that allows you to record and reproduce images and sounds on magnetic tapes placed in plastic boxes (known as cassettes). The device became an object of desire for many people in the 1980s and 1990s, because it allows the user to control what he wants to watch and when, being able to record a TV program, for example, to watch it later. But in the mid-1990s, videocassettes went into sharp decline because of the sale of DVD players. And then many people who decided to change the VCR for the DVD were in doubt about what to do with the old device (and many of them are still in some corner of the house, abandoned, waiting for a correct destination). After all, is VCR recyclable? And where to discard? Yes, it is recyclable and we explain below how to dispose of it correctly, so as not to harm the environment.
How is done
The video cassette is made up of plastics, aluminum, steel, circuit boards, an electrical power system, a system to connect to televisions and transmit the image and sound signals recorded on the tape. It can be considered one of the most complicated household equipment that a person can own, as it has, depending on the model of the device, more than eighteen moving parts, which are responsible for controlling the movement of the tape, preventing it from breaking or damaging it.
One of the most important parts is the recording head (head), which is responsible for reading and recording videos and audio. This reading is done by a microscope set, which transforms the magnetic signals printed on a magnetized tape and the electrical signals into sounds and images to be captured by users, through television.
How and where to recycle
Its recycling as electronic waste is relatively simple. All electronic and metallic parts are disassembled and separated from the plastic. Subsequently, each of these parts is sent to a place specialized in recycling the material. As there are heavy and toxic metals in its constitution, it is not recommended to discard the video cassette in the streets or in the common garbage, due to the possibility of the device ending up in a place where, when in contact with water and soil, it can deteriorate and contaminate these or even the water table.
If you have a VCR at home and don't use it anymore, you can use it alongside your DVD player, even moving your old records to new media (and here's how to dispose of your VHS tapes), or even donate it or even sell it to collectors of that object. For disposal, use the search for disposal sites that eCycle offers you, available from the link at the bottom of the page or at the top right of this page or use our collection service at home. But remember, always opt for conscientious disposal, respecting the environment!
