How to Recycle VHS Tapes in the UK (Digitise Them First)

Digitise anything personal first, then recycle the tapes through your local council's household waste recycling centre and take old players or camcorders to an electricals recycling point. Once a tape is gone, so is the footage, so the order matters.

Can you put VHS tapes in the recycling bin?

In most areas, no. VHS tapes are made of mixed materials, so most councils don't collect them in kerbside recycling. Rules vary from council to council, so check your local authority's website or ask at your household waste recycling centre before you throw them in any bin.

Old VCRs, camcorders and other electrical items are a separate stream. Recycle Your Electricals has a postcode search showing your nearest recycling point for electricals in the UK.

Why should I digitise VHS tapes before recycling them?

Because recycling is permanent. Many tapes have labels that are vague, wrong or missing altogether, and families regularly find a wedding, a christening or a grandparent's voice on a tape marked "football" or nothing at all. Once the tape is recycled, that recording can never be recovered.

Converting first means you keep everything that matters and only let go of the plastic. With Tapes To Digital, VHS to digital conversion starts from £13 a tape. Every tape is played on professional converters. We do a better job, and your originals always come back to you, so recycling is still your choice afterwards.

What if I don't know what's on my tapes?

Send them anyway: you only pay for footage we actually recover. There is no charge for a tape that turns out to be blank or can't be recovered, so you won't pay for empty cassettes. We can't tell how long a tape runs until it's played, so we never quote running times in advance.

Mouldy or damaged tapes aren't a lost cause either. Mould cleaning and tape repair are available from £13 per tape, and we always quote before starting.

How much does it cost to digitise VHS tapes in the UK?

Tapes To Digital charges from £13 a tape, and the price drops the more you send. VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, MiniDV, audio cassettes and other everyday formats all count together in a mixed order:

• 1 to 4 tapes: £15 a tape
• 5 to 10 tapes: £14.50 a tape
• 11 to 20 tapes: £14 a tape
• 21 to 30 tapes: £13.50 a tape
• 31 or more: £13 a tape

Up to three hours of footage per tape is included, then it's £6 per extra hour. Want to try us first? Send one tape at £15, and when the rest follow, your whole order is priced at the bulk rate with the difference taken off. Full details are on our tape conversion prices page.

What will I get back?

• An MP4 of every tape, ready for your TV, laptop or phone
• The archival AVI/MOV master alongside your MP4 on request, at the same price
• Your files on a USB we supply, as a download (from £7), on a USB you bring us, or on an external hard drive
• DVD copies if you want them, for £6 per disc
• Your original tapes back, every time

Most orders are ready in 7 to 10 working days from the day we receive your tapes, and sooner on request depending on quantity.

Where can I drop off VHS tapes for digitising?

Book a drop-off at one of our four UK drop-off locations in Brixton, Watford, Southall or Farnborough, or post your tapes from anywhere in the UK. Drop-offs are by appointment and the exact address arrives with your booking. Posting costs the same per tape as dropping off.

Clearing out camcorder tapes too? We also convert VHS-C to digital, Hi8 to digital and MiniDV to digital.

The simple order to follow

• Gather every tape, labelled or not
• Have them converted so you keep every recording
• Watch, share and back up your files
• Recycle the tapes and any old players responsibly, or keep the originals if you prefer