Quick Verdict
CDs and DVDs are not accepted in curbside recycling anywhere in Oregon. The polycarbonate plastic is recyclable in theory but requires specialty processing to separate from the aluminum, dye, and protective lacquer layers. Your realistic options are a mail-in specialty recycler, pickup as part of a larger e-waste or junk removal job, or — for small quantities — bagged household trash.
If the discs contain personal, medical, or business data, do not simply throw them out. Shred or physically destroy first, or use a certified destruction service.
Why CDs and DVDs Need Special Handling
Material Stack
A CD or DVD is a sandwich of polycarbonate plastic, a thin aluminum reflective layer, a dye layer (on recordable discs), and a lacquer coating. Standard curbside sorting cannot separate these, which is why every Oregon curbside program rejects them.
Data Privacy
Burned CDs and DVDs often contain personal backups — tax returns, photos, work files. A disc you threw in the trash can still be read if someone retrieves it. Cracking, scratching, or shredding the disc makes the data unrecoverable.
Volume Matters
One stack of old movies is easy to handle. A decade of burned backup discs, a defunct software library, or a business archive is a different scale of project that may require certified destruction.
Oregon Options
Option 1: Specialty Mail-In Disc Recyclers
A small number of companies accept CDs and DVDs by mail, charge per pound, and route the plastic to specialty processors. GreenDisk and CD Recycling Center are two of the better-known national options. Expect to pay shipping plus a per-pound recycling fee.
This is the most environmentally complete path. It only makes economic sense if you have at least a medium flat-rate box full of discs.
Option 2: E-Waste Events and Drop-Off
Some Oregon e-waste collection events accept CDs and DVDs alongside electronics. Check with Oregon E-Cycles partners in your county before making a trip. Rules vary and availability is seasonal. Our how to recycle electronics guide covers the broader Oregon e-waste network.
Option 3: Junk Removal Pickup
If you have a lot of discs, or you are clearing a home or office, add them to a junk removal pickup. Crews bundle discs into e-waste partner loads when volumes justify it, or dispose of them as trash if not.
Option 4: Household Trash for Small Quantities
Oregon law permits disposal of a small number of discs in household garbage — not curbside recycling. If privacy is a concern, break or shred first.
Step-by-Step Prep
1. Sort by Data Sensitivity
- Factory-pressed discs (commercial music, movies, software): no data risk. Standard recycling or trash.
- Burned discs (home backups, photos, business files): data risk. Destroy before disposal.
- Professional media (corporate, medical, legal): certified destruction recommended. Keep paperwork.
2. Destroy Data If Needed
Three quick methods:
- Physical cracking: snap the disc in half (wear eye protection).
- Scratching: sand or score the aluminum side hard enough to make the surface unreadable.
- Shredding: use a shredder rated for CDs (many home office shredders handle them).
3. Remove Cases
Jewel cases and plastic DVD cases are #6 plastic. Most Oregon curbside programs do not accept #6 in the mixed stream, but some drop-off depots do. Paper inserts and booklets can be recycled as paper.
4. Pack for Shipping or Pickup
Stack discs vertically in boxes to minimize shifting. A medium flat-rate USPS box holds roughly 200 discs in jewel cases or 500 loose.
Cost Expectations
Industry Baseline Range
| Scenario | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Small bag added to existing pickup | $0 to $20 extra |
| Dedicated small disc-only pickup | $95 to $175 minimum |
| Bulk office or estate haul (hundreds to thousands of discs) | $150 to $400+ |
| Mail-in disc recycler (per medium box, including shipping) | $40 to $85+ |
| Certified data destruction with certificate | $1 to $3 per disc at business volumes |
These figures reflect published industry averages. Current market pricing varies significantly and actual quotes may fall well outside these ranges based on site-specific conditions, material costs, and project complexity.
Current Market Reality
Disc recycling has become less economical over the past decade. Fewer processors take the material because the secondary market for recovered polycarbonate has shrunk. This means per-pound fees have crept up, and some mail-in programs have closed entirely. Always confirm a recycler is still operating before you pay for shipping.
When to Call a Pro
- Large collections from an estate, office liquidation, or hobby archive.
- Data-sensitive discs requiring certified destruction.
- Combined with other e-waste, VHS tapes, or general junk.
- Difficult physical access — attics, basements, crawlspaces, or storage units.
Real-World Scenarios
A Portland homeowner with 800 burned backup CDs. Too many for trash, data-sensitive, not worth the mail-in fee. Booked Otesse for pickup with a request to shred on site. Paid a single-load minimum plus a small shredding surcharge.
A Salem family cleaning out a parent's movie collection (300 DVDs). Donated the best 50 to a local library friends-of-the-library sale, traded about 100 at a used media store, and asked a junk removal crew to take the rest. Total haul cost: below the minimum load threshold because the discs rode along with other items.
A Eugene business closing a branch office with archive CDs. Needed a certificate of destruction for compliance. Used a certified shredding service and kept the paperwork.
FAQ
Can CDs go in curbside recycling? No. Oregon curbside programs do not accept CDs or DVDs. The material stack contaminates the plastic recycling stream.
What about the jewel cases? Jewel cases are #6 polystyrene. Most curbside programs reject this plastic. A few metro drop-off depots accept it; otherwise, trash.
Do charities want my old DVDs? Some thrift stores still accept DVDs in good condition. Call first — many have stopped because the market dried up.
Is it safe to throw a few discs in the trash? Legally, yes for household quantities. Break any disc with personal data on it before disposal.
How is this different from VHS tape disposal? Different materials, different processors. See how to dispose of VHS tapes for that separate flow.
Ready to Clear an Old Disc Collection?
Otesse handles CD, DVD, and mixed media disposal as part of our junk removal service. We will sort what can be routed to partner recyclers and dispose of the rest legally. Get a quote.