If your home or office is packed with old cassettes and vinyl LPs you never listen to, or you have instruments you never learned to play gathering dust, here are places that you can pass them on, to help others.
Old vinyl records can often be made into stunning wall art by framing album covers. Some artisans use a little heat to make them into record bowls to hold keys and other small items. Others turn them into circle coasters or even funky wall clocks. You can remove the tape and insert photos into old cassette tapes, to turn them into mini photo-frames.
If crafting isn’t your thing, most small charity shops will take old records (support ones that give to local animal and hospices, not big charity shops that test on animals). Some retailers offer take-back programs for old CDs, so ask before binning them.
Recycling Unwanted Musical Instruments
Many of us have old musical instruments gathering dust somewhere at home. Instead of letting them sit unused, consider recycling unwanted musical instruments. You can either donate them or use them in imaginative ways. Here’s how you can make a difference.
- The Nucleo Project accepts unwanted musical instruments in playing order, then distributes them to community orchestras around England. They accept all sizes of strings, wind, brass and percussion instruments. So far over 2500 have gone into the hands of budding new musicians.
- Organisations like Guitars for Vets (veterans with PTSD) often seek instruments to support musicians in need.
Sheet Music: From Clutter to Creativity
Sheet music can often pile up, taking valuable space while holding sentimental value. Instead of letting it gather dust, consider repurposing those sheets into creative projects. This amazing rose was made from music sheets, found in a local charity shop.
- Use pieces of sheet music to create framed wall art. The notes and lyrics can add a unique touch to your home décor. Just choose a few of your favourite songs, frame them up, and display them proudly.
- Forget traditional wrapping paper! Use sheet music to give gifts a personal touch. This is especially great for music lovers. Tie it up with some twine for a charming finish.
- Cut the sheet music into strips, and voila! You have unique bookmarks. These can be lovely gifts or even items to sell at craft fairs.
Sheet music of historic significance can be donated to the Royal College of Music.
Donate old iPods (to help dementia patients)
If you have old iPods sitting in drawers doing nothing, send them to Music and Memory. This company restores them to factory settings, then gives to them care homes specialising in dementia. Often music is the last memory that people with dementia have, and this lets them have their favourite music on hand, to help them feel better.
Recycle Everything with TerraCycle
The best solution is have your office or community order a one-off TerraCycle Box (this costs around £100 or your council may even pay). Then just add anything you no longer want to the box, and it gets sent off to be recycled into material for industrial use. The box accepts:
- CDs & DVDs
- 8-track tapes
- Blu-ray discs
- Cassette tapes
- Floppy disk
