Vinyl Records Donate or Sell if Usable Do Not Put In Recycling Sell or Donate If the vinyl is still in usable condition, consider donating it. To find local donation locations, check out the NYS Reuse Locator Map. Recycle Cardboard Covers If your record covers are clean and made of paperboard, recycle them with other paperboard. Plastic Goes in the Garbage Throw any plastic sleeves / film packaging covering a new vinyl in the garbage. Ways to Reduce Give to a Charity or Thrift Shop Consider taking unwanted records to a thrift shop or donation center near you. Old records are like other plastics: they leach chemicals into the environment if they end up in landfills. Ways to Reuse Craft and Upcycle Consider upcycling old vinyl records into craft bowls, tables and even clothing. Find new craft ideas. Did You Know? "Turntablism" - Art Making Turntable Artists are transforming old record players into illustrators. They have reinvented “turntablism,” which is a word describing the act of using a turntable to draw revolving images.