How to (trash) get rid of old cassette tapes?

Steinberg Lounge
#1

Aloha guys,

Need a lil advice here. (could find nothing on-line about this topic)

We are in the end stages of transferring the music from over 350 cassette tapes to external SSD’s
so the client can access her music directly from the computer.

PROBLEM:

Once done, how do I get rid of these tapes? What is the proper recycling procedure?

Ecologically I don’t want to just toss them in the garbage and because much of the music material
was made by the client herself, giving them away is also not an option. Some discretion is involved.

Anyone ever before dealt with this issue? Any info would be great.

A major TIA (thanks in advance) and sending much Aloha.

{’-’}

#2

You can erase the tapes with a magnet before you give them awayor hand them in as chemical waste, due to the heavy metals/ oxides used on the tape. Or crack them open and remove the tape to be handled separately from the plastic casing. Depends on your local regulations and facilities of course. Can’t these volcanoes handle your tapes? :wink:

In the old pencil-and-cassette days we’d just toss 'm in the bin if too messed up…

My 2cts…

#3

It might be time for a big bonfire at the curteye residence (not kidding). :wink:

Regards :sunglasses:

#4

Give them back to the client :slight_smile:

#5

Take them to your local electronic recycling depot after you’ve erase the audio.

#6

If you have an working electric motor handy, the magnetic field around it makes for a great bulk eraser when its running. As for whats left after, I agree, consulting your city/town/municipal waste authority would be the best way forward.

#7

Or… a more fanciful suggestion, but kinda cool. Have them vacuum sealed into a bag or two along with an appropriate note from the author, then seal them up in a box, and bury them as a time capsule. Even better if you know someone in construction who can embed them in a public building foundation (alongside Jimmy Hoffa? :laughing: ). Recently in Toronto, Canada, a box was discovered that was in such a scenario which has been hiding for over 100 years. The box apparently contained some jewellery that had been stolen from a family generations ago in Europe, those were returned to their rightful heirs.

Of course, your artist has to have that sort of imagination. :sunglasses:

#8

:smiling_imp: eBay?

But seriously, if you pull out the tape it works wonderfully to deter birds from crops of you string it between some bamboos. Yes, I kid you not – as the tape moves in the wind, the shiny side catches the light and is enough to scare most birds when they see movement.

#9

All 45150* meters of it :laughing:

  • based on a c90
#10

Sell them or treat it as chemical substance (the tape is made from plastics)

#11

They can only recycle the plastic parts. The tape inside the cassette is not recyclable.

#12

rust baked in plastic! :laughing:

#13

Curteye is noticablly absent, perhaps he set sail to the center of the Pacific with those tapes, never to be recorded again :open_mouth:

#14

Bet he no longer has a problem with birds on his crops though.

#15

You’d have to also include a tape deck and playback system (preferably tube-based), pictorial/diagram instruction manual (in case humanity has ceased to exist and extraterrestrial archaeologists find the time capsule) for the operation thereof, and some sort of long-lived power source capable of supplying 120V 60Hz AC hundreds or thousands of years from now. All of those things will be long obsolete by then, or non-existent.

#16

The devil is in the details. Packing a small portable cassette walkman in with the time capsule along with some rechargable batteries, and a solar battery charger, done and dusted. Adding a picture of Curteye would help too :laughing:

#17

:laughing:

#18

Naw still here. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

And a big Mahalo to you guys for all the neat/kool suggestions.

Gonna remove all (or some) of the tape and use it for a Halloween costume!

After which we plan to give them away to the local ‘Habitat For Humanity’ chapter here.
They promised to properly dispose of them.

Thanks again.
{’-’}

#19

Piccies or it didnt happen!

#20

the analog tapemonster