The Courier

The Courier comes out in April, July and November. It contains leadership letters, legislative updates, Council, staff and volunteer profiles, special event and program details, an events calendar, and stories that provide help and inspiration for people who are blind or visually impaired.

The Courier is available in CD, Braille, large-print and e-mail format.

If you would like to receive the courier, please contact us.

Speaking of Sustainability: The Word on Recycling CDs

The Council has received several inquiries about whether Courier CDs are recyclable.

First, the bad news.  CD’s and DVD’s are made from various lacquers and aluminum and sometimes gold.  By far, most of their weight is from polycarbonate plastic which is made from crude oil.  Landfill is not a good option because these things will be around for hundreds of years to come. They don’t break down readily, and over time, they can release

Bisphenol A, which has been in the news a lot recently, due to health implications.  Burning CD’s and DVD’s releases toxic fumes.

Now, for the good news.  Various organizations have sprung up that will recycle the materials in CD and DVD media.  Usually, the service itself is free.  You pay only for the postage.  It doesn’t matter what condition the CD or DVD is in—even broken ones are accepted.  If you want to get rid of old CD’s that contain sensitive information on them, simply cut them up with a pair of sturdy shears first.

Place your CD’s or DVD’s in a suitable shipping package.  It is important that you do not include any packing materials and that you separate CD’s and DVD’s from cases.  Large quantities of non-separated materials will be refused.  Ship to: back Thru the Future, 150 Main Street, Ogdensburg, NJ 07439.  Write “FREE CD/DVD RECYCLING” on the outside of your shipping package.

You can e-mail questions to RECYCLE@BackThruTheFuture.com or call 973-823-9752 and ask for Free CD Recycling.