1. Contact Lenses  

Through a program sponsored by Bausch + Lomb and TerraCycle, you can send in your used contact blister packs, top foil, and contact lenses to be recycled. Simply place any of these items in a small cardboard box, once full print out a free shipping label and take the box to any UPS location. More information and shipping labels can be found here. 

2. Brita Filters

If your house has a Brita filter, you can now send back your used filters to be recycled and even earn points towards new purchases through the Brita Rewards program. More information and how to sign up can be found on their website here.

3. Bras

You can donate your gently used bras to women and girls in desperate need of them through The Bra Recyclers. Simply wash them, print out a label, and send them in. More information can be found here.

4. Burt's Bees Products

Through TerraCycle, you can send back any emptied and cleaned Burt's Bees branded personal, lip, or beauty care packaging. More information about how this program works can be found here.

5. Tennis Balls

Through a partnership between Laykold and Ace Surfaces, you can send in old tennis balls to be recycled into world-class tennis ball surface. To find out more about this program, you can visit this website.

6. Greeting Cards

You can send new or used, all-occasion greeting cards to St. Jude's Ranch for Children. They work with children to recycle the cards into new ones and sell them. Money raised from selling the cards goes to funding programs for abused, neglected, or homeless children, young adults, and families. Information about where to send the cards can be found on St. Jude's website.

7. Solo Cups

TerraCycle has partnered with Solo Squared to create a free recycling program for rigid, #6 plastic cups. Simply ship any amount of cups with a free shipping label you can print on this website.

8. Instrument Stings

A partnership between TerraCycle and D'Addario has created a free recycling program for instrument strings and clippings. The nearest drop off location in Dakota County can be found at LaVonne Music in Savage. More information about the program can be found here.

9. Wine Corks

Recycling natural cork encourages the use of natural cork (a traditional sustainable practice) and can be used in products in place of other environmentally harmful foams and plastics. ReCORK provides drop-off locations where you can bring your corks to be recycled for free. The nearest Dakota County drop off locations are at Marketplace Liquor in Savage and Houlihans in Eagan. More information and address can be found at this website.

10. Food Wrappers, Disposable Cups, and Coffee Accessories

Subaru in partenrship with TerraCycle have launched a new campaign called Subaru Loves the Earth. Through this program, anyone can bring in disposable cups and lids, candy and snack wrappers, and coffee, tea, or creamer capsules to participating Subaru dealerships to be recycled for free. More information about the program and how Subaru is working to become zero landfill can be found here.