Technologies
Earth Day: Do You Know If These Items Can Be Recycled or Not?
How many can you get right?

Earth Day was started in 1970 to make people aware of damages to the environment. Since then, companies like Apple have introduced plans to reduce or eliminate their carbon footprint, and some companies, like Microsoft, have introduced product settings to use more renewable energy when it’s available.
There are many ways you can help the environment, too, and one of those ways is by recycling certain items. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycling can help conserve natural resources and energy, and the practice can generate over $37 billion in wages. But do you know what items you can and can’t recycle?
Test your recycling knowledge with this list of common household items and whether or not they can be recycled.
Note: Recyclable items may vary by location, so check with your local recycling center or government agency.
Pizza boxes?

Yes, even if the boxes have grease in them, they can be recycled, according to the EPA. However, you have to get rid of any food scraps, including uneaten crusts, and you have to flatten the boxes.
Hardcover books?

No, hardcover books can’t be recycled. The covers are usually made of different materials, including plastic and leather, which aren’t recyclable. The glue that binds the books together can be hard to separate from the pages as well. Besides, why recycle a book when you can donate it to a school, library or a nonprofit organization? Donating books can help people increase their vocabulary and improve their communications skills. Plus, it’s a guilt-free way of making more room on your bookshelves.
Paperback books?

Yes, you can recycle paperback books, even if they’re beyond repair. Like hardcover books, though, maybe consider donating the books if you want to get rid of them.
Batteries?

Yes. According to the EPA, lead-acid batteries are one of the most recycled items. This includes car batteries, too. However, batteries require special handling, so they need to be recycled at separate locations and can’t be recycled in your home recycling bin. This tool can help you find a location to recycle your batteries.
Receipts?

No, you can’t recycle receipts. Most receipts are coated with Bisphenol A, a plastic compound more commonly known as BPA. This compound makes the receipts unrecyclable, and it could be bad for your health, according to the Mayo Clinic. The best way to dispose of receipts is in the trash, but you might want to shred the receipt before throwing it away for financial security.
Stickers?

Stickers can be fun, but unfortunately you can’t recycle them. The glue that holds stickers in place can gunk up recycling machinery, and some stickers, like vinyl stickers, can be harmful to the environment.
Carpet?

Yes, carpet can be recycled. Nearly all kinds of carpet can be broken down and used to make new products, and the complex fibers of carpet make it nearly impossible to break down in landfills. However, the infrastructure required to recycle carpet isn’t widely available, and you can’t put carpet in your home recycle bin. The nonprofit Carpet America Recovery Effort is one group working to put the necessary infrastructure in place to recycle carpet everywhere. For now, use this tool to find a location that will recycle your carpet.
Motor oil?

Yes. Many garages and auto shops recycle your old oil when you take your car in for an oil change. If you perform your own oil change, usually these same shops will accept oil for recycling. Like batteries, motor oil should not be put in a household recycle bin. The used material from one oil change is enough to contaminate one million gallons of fresh water, according to the EPA. Use this tool to find a location that will recycle your used motor oil.
Compostable plastics?

No, even though they’re made from renewable materials, like corn, cellulose and soy protein, compostable plastics can’t be recycled. «Compostable plastics aren’t meant to be recycled and can contaminate and disrupt the recycling stream if mixed with non-compostable plastics,» according to the EPA.
Wrapping paper?

Trick question — yes and no. Shiny and laminated wrapping paper can’t be recycled, but there is recyclable wrapping paper available. The EPA says a good wrapping paper alternative that is recyclable is newspaper. Plus, using newspaper as wrapping paper gives the gift recipient something to read while they wait to open their gift.
Bonus round: Aluminum cans?

Yes, empty aluminum cans can be recycled, but the cans can’t be crushed. The EPA says crushed cans are harder to detect when being sorted within recycling facilities. All those shows and movies showing people crushing cans to take to the recycling center lied to us.
For more, here’s how to recycle old tech and gadgets for free, how to use Best Buy’s recycle-by-mail program and how plastics recycling misses the point.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Oct. 15
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 15.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It includes both the first and last name of one of my favorite chefs of all time — maybe yours, too. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Chromebooks, but not MacBooks
Answer: PCS
4A clue: «Yippee!»
Answer: WAHOO
6A clue: Reveal, as juicy gossip
Answer: SPILL
7A clue: With 2-Down, chef who helped popularize chicken cordon bleu in the U.S.
Answer: JULIA
8A clue: Toss in
Answer: ADD
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Toss in
Answer: PAPUA
2D clue: See 7-Across
Answer: CHILD
3D clue: State of matter for most elements at room temperature
Answer: SOLID
4D clue: Business-focused newspaper, for short
Answer: WSJ
5D clue: Hello, in Portuguese
Answer: OLA
Technologies
Want to Watch a Podcast? Netflix and Spotify Partner to Bring Video Podcasts to Streaming
Starting in early 2026, Netflix subscribers in the US will be able to watch select Spotify Studios and Ringer podcasts directly on the streaming platform.

Netflix and Spotify are teaming up to blur the line between streaming and podcasting. The two companies announced a new partnership that will bring a curated slate of Spotify’s top video podcasts, including shows from Spotify Studios and The Ringer, to Netflix starting in early 2026. The goal is to make popular podcasts as watchable as TV, expanding both services’ reach into sports, culture, lifestyle and true crime.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
The deal marks Spotify’s most significant distribution push beyond its own platform, and for Netflix, it’s a new way to keep audiences engaged with talk-driven, low-cost programming. Early titles include The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables, Dissect, Conspiracy Theories and Serial Killers, among others. You can find the complete list here.
More shows and genres are expected to be added over time.
Netflix says the partnership complements its library of documentaries and talk shows, offering «fresh voices and new perspectives.» Spotify, meanwhile, described it as «a new chapter for podcasting,» giving creators access to Netflix’s global audience while expanding discovery for listeners who prefer watching podcasts.
The rollout will begin in the US early next year, with additional markets to follow in 2026.
Technologies
Every Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT Code
It’s dangerous to explore Kairos without some legendary gear. These promo codes will unlock epic loot and vault hunter cosmetics in Borderlands 4.

The biggest looter shooter of the year, Borderlands 4, is out, and tons of players are already taking the fight to the Timekeeper on Kairos. If you want to put the beat down on someone strong enough to control time, then you’re going to need an arsenal of powerful weapons and equipment.
Luckily, developer Gearbox Software is willing to lend a helping hand. Instead of having to farm every piece of legendary equipment in-game, you can roll the dice on some loot with Golden Keys unlocked by SHiFT promo codes.
If you’re already swimming in more loot than you know what to do with, some SHiFT codes also unlock special cosmetic looks for your favorite vault hunters. Special in-game challenges have already unlocked promo codes for Amon, Rafa and Vex vault hunter skins, with a Harlowe skin unlocking soon. Here’s how to use the latest SHiFT codes in Borderlands 4.
All active SHiFT codes for Borderlands 4
You can hunt down SHiFT codes on social media, but we’ll keep all of the active promo codes in one place for ease of access.
Below, you’ll find a chart that contains every active SHiFT code for Borderlands 4, what it unlocks and its expiration date:
Active Borderlands 4 SHiFT codes
Reward | SHiFT code | Expiration date |
---|---|---|
Golden Key | WZK3B-SHTHF-JZ59K-SBT3B-TWHXT | Oct. 19, 2025 |
Vex Mass Market Appeal Skin | BZ6JJ-CB6CT-WXJJW-3TT3B-56FZ5 | Jan. 1, 2031 |
Amon Cult Classic Skin | JZ6BJ-SBR5J-WF3BK-BT3BB-TX9HB | Dec. 31, 2030 |
Rafa Savings Savior Skin | TZXT3-XJXCB-CXBJW-BTTJT-9SK6B | Dec. 31, 2030 |
Break Free Cosmetics Pack | JS63J-JSCWJ-CFTBW-3TJ3J-WJS5R | Jan. 1, 2031 |
Golden Key | T9RJB-BFKRR-3RBTW-B33TB-KCZB9 | No expiration |
How to redeem SHiFT codes for your Borderlands 4 account
While SHiFT codes are totally free rewards for you to accumulate, you must make a SHiFT account to input any active codes in-game.
SHiFT is a service that Gearbox integrates into its biggest games, and making an account unlocks forums and exclusive beta participation. It’s also necessary to create an account to turn in any promo codes, which is what most fans care about.
Once your account is created, you can enter your SHiFT codes in two separate places. Within your SHiFT account settings, you can find a Rewards tab with a field to enter any Borderlands promo codes. Once you enter the codes, any unlocked items will be added to your account the next time you open the game.
However, an easier way to input your SHiFT codes is within Borderlands 4 itself. Within the game’s pause menu, you can access a SHiFT. Select the Rewards tab from the resulting menu, input your codes, and the unlocked items will be immediately available on your save.
Where are SHiFT codes normally released?
SHiFT codes are released fairly frequently on Gearbox and Gearbox-affiliated social media channels. For the best chance at catching every new SHiFT code that gets released, you should follow Gearbox on X and on Facebook.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford also releases promos on his X account, so if you’re brave enough to follow him despite his frequent outbursts toward fans you can find SHiFT codes there as well.
What are SHiFT codes?
SHiFT codes are promo codes that Gearbox occasionally releases that reward players with loot and cosmetics in Borderlands games. The main SHiFT code reward is a Golden Key, which opens the Golden Chest in most Borderlands hub areas.
But don’t spend them immediately — it’s worth saving your Golden Keys until you reach the level cap and are playing on the hardest difficulty, as the loot rewards will scale to your character accordingly. This is a great way to begin farming some endgame legendaries quickly and easily.
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