Don’t be so quick to trash certain items. Here are 5 surprising things you didn’t know could be recycled. Take it from experts at Realtor.com, HGTV and Mental Floss.

1. Shoes – old sneakers can be donated to people in need. Companies like Nike melt them down and make new products. North Face will even give you $10 off your next purchase.
2. Crayons – broken crayons are melted, remade and resold. The National Crayon Recycle Program has saved over 118,000 pounds of crayons.
3. Yoga mats – can be made into squishy, comfortable flip flops, thanks to the company Sanuk.
4. Wine corks – can be turned into flat sheets of tile for flooring or sandals, thanks to companies like TerraCycle and SOUL.
5. Contact lenses – billions of contact lenses are flushed every year and end up in our oceans. Bausch + Lomb will recycle them for free.

It’s clear to see how recycling has many benefits.