Recycling has been a movement to encourage a greener environment, but many don’t realize the extent of what old things can be made new again. There are quite a few things you didn’t know you can recycle out there! Although you might not think your tin can recycling is making a big dent in reducing landfill activity, you never realize the impact until you hear of stories like the silicon wafer suppliers who are getting their waste turned into solar panels.

As long as creative individuals are still experimenting and exploring new opportunities, recycling holds endless possibilities for making trash into treasure. Here are some things you didn’t know you can recycle.

Here Are 5 Things You Didn’t Know You Can Recycle:

1. Crayons. These small little items are rapidly filling landfills around the country. In fact, the problem is so serious that over half a million pounds of crayons are thrown away every year. Luckily, you can recycle your crayons easily.

All you need to do is send your crayons to the Crayon Initiative. Once there, they will get melted down and remanufactured. After that, your recycle and remanufactured crayons will be put to good use in art programs in children’s hospitals all over the United States.

2. Asphalt. Asphalt, also know as bitumen is a sticky, black, and viscous liquid. It’s basically petroleum. It is also the prime component of shingles, which can be easily recycled. The shingles are shredded and melted to be used for paving highways and streets. This can help the environment considerably. By recycling petroleum materials instead of producing them from scratch we reduce pollution.

3. Prescription Drugs. Of all the things you didn’t know you can recycle, this one is the most surprising for most people. Of course, it’s not the medication that’s recycled, rather its packaging. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people simply throw away their old medication. If you care about the environment and the future of our planet, take them to your local drug center instead.

Thanks to the national drug take-back days, you can bring your old prescription drugs to the local center. The bottles are recycled and the drugs properly disposed of for safety.

4. Wine Corks. Many people know it is easy to recycle the glass wine bottle, but you can also recycle cork. There are several new companies emerging that are exploring products and flooring made from recycled cork.

Of course, you don’t necessarily have to recycle them the old fashioned way. If you’re into DIY projects, you can easily craft something spectacular out of wine corks. Check out websites such as Pinterest for inspiration!

5. Sporting Equipment. Many sports balls are made from rubber or other recyclable materials. However, you can recycle them by offering them to others for use. Even better, you can send yoga mats to Sanuk, who is turning them into flip-flops. Talk about minimizing your carbon footprint!

This was our short list of the 5 things you didn’t know you can recycle! Hopefully, this list has left you feeling motivated about what you can do to help the environment. Before you trash it, consider recycling instead. Happy recycling!