We’ve all had to deal with that large collection of awkward items that you aren’t sure how to properly get rid of. It can be hard to dispose of these items properly, even if it is important to you. With all of the different types of materials, sometimes it’s overwhelming. If the world were perfect then you could throw the items into a magical box and it’d disappear. The reality is that some items aren’t as simple to get rid of as a box of newspapers or an empty soda bottle. This guide will help you find a way to safely dispose of these items and keep your community clean. You’ll learn not only about the differences between each item, but why they may or may not need to be recycled in different ways. It’s important to keep an open mind, because some of the items listed contain harmful chemicals that not only could harm the environment, but also you and your family as well.
Can You Recycle Furniture?
It can be difficult to know how to dispose of furniture, and not simply because it’s large and heavy. A quick solution is to check government websites and see what they say with regards to your particular state and community. Some states use different laws to regulate such activities. It’s extremely important that you double check that what you want to do is legal within your state. You have more options for furniture than simply throwing it away though.
You can try to donate your furniture. Donating is an excellent option. After all, if a chair or a couch is in great condition, it’d be somewhat of a shame to let that go to waste. No matter where you live, there are always donation centers that are not only happy to take your old sofa, but they’ll often do it free of charge. Even better, many donations are often tax deductible as well, making it at least somewhat profitable in the long run. If there aren’t any donation centers near you, you can always check with nearby churches to see if they have a donation program. Another idea is to call local community services, like soup kitchens, homeless shelters and animal shelters, to see if they have any use for such an item. Donating is an excellent way to both help your community, and rid yourself of unwanted furniture.
There are services you can call which will come retrieve the furniture as well. You may find that you don’t have any help from friends or family, or that you don’t have a way to move the furniture yourself. These situations are all too common, so there are a plethora of services you can call to come retrieve the furniture. While you may need to do a little research, there are plenty of services, including non-profit charities, that you can choose from. If you don’t have that sort of service near you, sometimes it’s just as simple as calling your local waste management facility for them to come dispose of it. Often you’ll be charged for this, however you can rest assured knowing that it will be properly and professionally taken care of.
What to do with Old Bathtubs?
Bathtubs are an entirely different procedure altogether. With bathtubs it’s not as simple as throwing them away in the dumpster, as a good percentage of them are made of acrylic, which is not a very biodegradable material, meaning that they’ll sit in landfills far longer than most other items. While you should be able to dispose of bathtubs in a similar fashion to furniture (always double check your local government websites for information) you might also find that you can repurpose them instead.
You may realize that the tub, with a little decoration and polish, makes for an excellent place to start a garden at home. There are numerous tutorials online on how to convert your old bathtub into something new and fresh. You’ll find the tub garden has less weeds, much lower maintenance, and can look quite fetching in your yard, so it’s difficult to find a fault in this plan.
Washing your beloved pet can be a hassle in and of itself, so why not consider dedicating a part of your backyard as a pet washing station? Instead of filling your home with the mud and filth that comes off of your excited, playful, and dirty pup, you might want to wash the dog outside. You can also use this for those days when your young child decides to make mud pies outside.
How to Properly Dispose of Cleaning Products
Cleaning products can do amazing things, but they’re a problem when it’s time to dispose of them. If it’s not safe for consumption, then it stands to reason that it’s probably not great for the environment as well. After all, they’re literal bottles of chemicals that aren’t exactly found in the wild. So before just dumping them down the drain and potentially into our drinking water, here’s a definitive list of all the chemicals and how to get rid of them not just properly, but safely as well.
Laundry products, such as bleach, detergents, pre-soaks and water softeners are all safe to put down the drain. While most fabric softeners should be fine you should always check the back of the bottle, as they may have chemicals in them that aren’t water soluble.
While most dish cleaning products are able to dissolve in water, there are some that aren’t actually eco-friendly, so you’ll need to read the back of the bottle and look for any special disposal instruction.
Due to the nature of household cleaners and how many there are there is no straightforward answer that can be given; even the bottles don’t always tell you what you need to do. You’ll likely have to look the item up online and read the information that is often posted on things like forums. In the meantime, there are a couple good rule of thumbs to keep you on the right track. Solids should be thrown away, never recycled, and liquids will normally be alright to go down the drain. Afterward, be sure that the containers are thoroughly rinsed before you place them in the recycling.
How do I Dispose of Old Appliances?
Appliances have some strict regulations and rules on them, but you can view them as one of two things.
Refrigerators have to be recycled, you cannot simply throw them away. Fridges contain chlorofluorocarbons (or CFCs), which are a part of the Clean Air Act. You’ll prevent CFC from invading the atmosphere any more than it already has by recycling your refrigerator. Any large appliance which relies on a chemical, like heat pumps or AC units, will fall under this category, so you should contact your local waste management facility about having these things properly and safely removed.
The remainder of appliances, smaller ones like toasters or microwaves, have their own methods of disposal. They may not have CFCs in them, however they are electronics, so you still have to take care when disposing of them. Many states had e-waste programs that you can reach out to where they will either repair and reuse the product, or properly dispose of it. Some of these places will do this for free, so it’s a good idea to look into what’s offered.
Can You Recycle Old Mattresses?
Mattresses are actually more of a problem to deal with than furniture is. Due to the high risk of spreading illness and infection there are many laws in place about repurposing and reselling them. The CDC doesn’t mince words when it talks about the dangers of reselling mattresses. Yet, every year around 40 million mattresses fill our landfills, and each mattress takes up an average of 40 cubic feet. Throwing them away may in fact by a long term money drain, as they are clunky, large, and have been known to damage landfill equipment. So how do we solve this problem?
Over the years a few organizations have been formed that will take a mattress apart, reuse all materials they can, and incinerate the ones they can’t. This is much cheaper and more space efficient than simply dumping them. Unfortunately these organizations haven’t become commonplace yet, so if one isn’t near you then you’ll have to call your local waste management office to receive further advice on what to do.
What to do with Old Rugs?
Carpets and rugs are really easy to recycle. Most massed produced carpets are made with biodegradable materials for quick break down, and most states allow them to be a part of curbside pick up. The fibers in them can be used to make new rugs and carpets, and they are easily broken down by a plastic resin which can be used for the mass production of other products. Most even accept carpet padding, and don’t require you to separate them upon disposal.
You should never donate a carpet or rug. Your heart may be in the right place, but just like mattresses the concern is more health related, and donating an object that has been used, worn, and over the years has been collecting dust and dirt can increase the chances of infectious diseases spreading. You still care for your community and your environment when you recycle them, so don’t worry about it.
Recycling may not always be the easiest thing to do, especially in our modern society, but it’s important all the same. It’s not just a safety thing either, but an issue of money. You’ll be able to not only avoid spending money on new things by repurposing, but you can earn tax deductions from your donations. Taking the time to dispose of these items properly can be the difference between maintaining a community and having said community grow and thrive. It’s always easier to just throw away unwanted items, but those items come with unintended consequences. We’re running out of space to put our trash as every passing year more and more landfills reach their capacity. Recycling has far more perks than consequences, and if everyone does their little part in helping, then we’re on the fast track to truly being a self sustaining culture that not only makes our communities healthier and safer, but also prosper.
Can You Recycle Furniture?
It can be difficult to know how to dispose of furniture, and not simply because it’s large and heavy. A quick solution is to check government websites and see what they say with regards to your particular state and community. Some states use different laws to regulate such activities. It’s extremely important that you double check that what you want to do is legal within your state. You have more options for furniture than simply throwing it away though.
You can try to donate your furniture. Donating is an excellent option. After all, if a chair or a couch is in great condition, it’d be somewhat of a shame to let that go to waste. No matter where you live, there are always donation centers that are not only happy to take your old sofa, but they’ll often do it free of charge. Even better, many donations are often tax deductible as well, making it at least somewhat profitable in the long run. If there aren’t any donation centers near you, you can always check with nearby churches to see if they have a donation program. Another idea is to call local community services, like soup kitchens, homeless shelters and animal shelters, to see if they have any use for such an item. Donating is an excellent way to both help your community, and rid yourself of unwanted furniture.
There are services you can call which will come retrieve the furniture as well. You may find that you don’t have any help from friends or family, or that you don’t have a way to move the furniture yourself. These situations are all too common, so there are a plethora of services you can call to come retrieve the furniture. While you may need to do a little research, there are plenty of services, including non-profit charities, that you can choose from. If you don’t have that sort of service near you, sometimes it’s just as simple as calling your local waste management facility for them to come dispose of it. Often you’ll be charged for this, however you can rest assured knowing that it will be properly and professionally taken care of.
What to do with Old Bathtubs?
Bathtubs are an entirely different procedure altogether. With bathtubs it’s not as simple as throwing them away in the dumpster, as a good percentage of them are made of acrylic, which is not a very biodegradable material, meaning that they’ll sit in landfills far longer than most other items. While you should be able to dispose of bathtubs in a similar fashion to furniture (always double check your local government websites for information) you might also find that you can repurpose them instead.
You may realize that the tub, with a little decoration and polish, makes for an excellent place to start a garden at home. There are numerous tutorials online on how to convert your old bathtub into something new and fresh. You’ll find the tub garden has less weeds, much lower maintenance, and can look quite fetching in your yard, so it’s difficult to find a fault in this plan.
Washing your beloved pet can be a hassle in and of itself, so why not consider dedicating a part of your backyard as a pet washing station? Instead of filling your home with the mud and filth that comes off of your excited, playful, and dirty pup, you might want to wash the dog outside. You can also use this for those days when your young child decides to make mud pies outside.
How to Properly Dispose of Cleaning Products
Cleaning products can do amazing things, but they’re a problem when it’s time to dispose of them. If it’s not safe for consumption, then it stands to reason that it’s probably not great for the environment as well. After all, they’re literal bottles of chemicals that aren’t exactly found in the wild. So before just dumping them down the drain and potentially into our drinking water, here’s a definitive list of all the chemicals and how to get rid of them not just properly, but safely as well.
Laundry products, such as bleach, detergents, pre-soaks and water softeners are all safe to put down the drain. While most fabric softeners should be fine you should always check the back of the bottle, as they may have chemicals in them that aren’t water soluble.
While most dish cleaning products are able to dissolve in water, there are some that aren’t actually eco-friendly, so you’ll need to read the back of the bottle and look for any special disposal instruction.
Due to the nature of household cleaners and how many there are there is no straightforward answer that can be given; even the bottles don’t always tell you what you need to do. You’ll likely have to look the item up online and read the information that is often posted on things like forums. In the meantime, there are a couple good rule of thumbs to keep you on the right track. Solids should be thrown away, never recycled, and liquids will normally be alright to go down the drain. Afterward, be sure that the containers are thoroughly rinsed before you place them in the recycling.
How do I Dispose of Old Appliances?
Appliances have some strict regulations and rules on them, but you can view them as one of two things.
Refrigerators have to be recycled, you cannot simply throw them away. Fridges contain chlorofluorocarbons (or CFCs), which are a part of the Clean Air Act. You’ll prevent CFC from invading the atmosphere any more than it already has by recycling your refrigerator. Any large appliance which relies on a chemical, like heat pumps or AC units, will fall under this category, so you should contact your local waste management facility about having these things properly and safely removed.
The remainder of appliances, smaller ones like toasters or microwaves, have their own methods of disposal. They may not have CFCs in them, however they are electronics, so you still have to take care when disposing of them. Many states had e-waste programs that you can reach out to where they will either repair and reuse the product, or properly dispose of it. Some of these places will do this for free, so it’s a good idea to look into what’s offered.
Can You Recycle Old Mattresses?
Mattresses are actually more of a problem to deal with than furniture is. Due to the high risk of spreading illness and infection there are many laws in place about repurposing and reselling them. The CDC doesn’t mince words when it talks about the dangers of reselling mattresses. Yet, every year around 40 million mattresses fill our landfills, and each mattress takes up an average of 40 cubic feet. Throwing them away may in fact by a long term money drain, as they are clunky, large, and have been known to damage landfill equipment. So how do we solve this problem?
Over the years a few organizations have been formed that will take a mattress apart, reuse all materials they can, and incinerate the ones they can’t. This is much cheaper and more space efficient than simply dumping them. Unfortunately these organizations haven’t become commonplace yet, so if one isn’t near you then you’ll have to call your local waste management office to receive further advice on what to do.
What to do with Old Rugs?
Carpets and rugs are really easy to recycle. Most massed produced carpets are made with biodegradable materials for quick break down, and most states allow them to be a part of curbside pick up. The fibers in them can be used to make new rugs and carpets, and they are easily broken down by a plastic resin which can be used for the mass production of other products. Most even accept carpet padding, and don’t require you to separate them upon disposal.
You should never donate a carpet or rug. Your heart may be in the right place, but just like mattresses the concern is more health related, and donating an object that has been used, worn, and over the years has been collecting dust and dirt can increase the chances of infectious diseases spreading. You still care for your community and your environment when you recycle them, so don’t worry about it.
Recycling may not always be the easiest thing to do, especially in our modern society, but it’s important all the same. It’s not just a safety thing either, but an issue of money. You’ll be able to not only avoid spending money on new things by repurposing, but you can earn tax deductions from your donations. Taking the time to dispose of these items properly can be the difference between maintaining a community and having said community grow and thrive. It’s always easier to just throw away unwanted items, but those items come with unintended consequences. We’re running out of space to put our trash as every passing year more and more landfills reach their capacity. Recycling has far more perks than consequences, and if everyone does their little part in helping, then we’re on the fast track to truly being a self sustaining culture that not only makes our communities healthier and safer, but also prosper.
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