There is zero percent doubt that recycling bins have taken up every required space in hour homes, offices, Schools, Colleges, or even in societies. Some of them have been placed or used for a very long while as they are broken, scratched, and not in good condition anymore. One can always replace an old bin with a new one, but can you recycle old recycling bins? We are just here to gather here and find facts on whether old recycling bins are recyclable or not.
Table of Contents
- Can You Recycle Your Old Recycling Bin?
- What Types Of Recycling Bins Are Recyclable?
- What Can You Do With An Old Metal Bin?
- Final Thoughts:
- References:
Therefore, spare some time for yourself and start reading this guide. Here, I will share what to do with your old recycling bin, whether it is worth recycling or more. Let’s get started without talking through the bushes.
Can You Recycle Your Old Recycling Bin?
You can do numerous things with your old trash bins or recycling bins in case they have been broken, smelly, have less capacity, or you have purchased a new and better one.
But is it possible to recycle these old recycling bins? Yes, all those trash bins that seem of no usage for you now can be recycled.
If you have any metal recycling bin in your home or anywhere around that is ready to become garbage, don’t just throw it in another large trash bin to increase the size of landfills.
Instead, take that recycling bin to your nearest recycling center, and they will also pay you in cash after purchasing that old recycling bin for recycling purposes.
In this case, your old recycling bins can be recycled, and that recycled material can be used for other purposes.
Read more about recycling bins from the All About Recycling Bin guide and know in depth about these bins.
What Types Of Recycling Bins Are Recyclable?
Mostly, recycling bins made from metal are highly recyclable. On top of that, almost all types of recycling bins are recyclable.
But if you have any of the following recycling bin, you can just recycle it for more extensive usage. These types of recyclable bins are given as follows.
- Recycling bins made from heavy-duty PET plastic are recyclable.
- Recycling bins made from iron are also recyclable.
- Bins made from stainless steel are recyclable.
- And recycling bins made from any metal such as Aluminum etc., are highly recyclable.
What Can You Do With An Old Metal Bin?
Is recycling those old bins always an option? Can you not do anything else with those metal bins?
Do these always have to be recycled, or can you consider using them for other purposes? These might be the questions popping up in your mind when your trash bins become trash themselves.
Undoubtedly, there are several things for which you can use an old recycling bin. All this states the post usage of a recycling or trash bin when it is of no use to keep the trash at all.
Therefore, you can do the following things with your old trash bin to ensure that an old metal bin should not go waste or only to the recycling center. Please have a look!
Way 1: Throwing Your Old Recycling Bin Away:
The first thing you can do with an old trash bin that has become trash itself or if you have replaced it with a new one is throwing it away.
This process involves doing some simple steps so that an old metal bin will no longer become a problem for you. You can do the following things to throw away an old recycling bin.
Calling Out On The Local Govt:
First, ensure which recycling bin is of no use now, and finally, it is time to throw it away.
Once this is done and you have separated that recycling bin or bins from the other efficient ones, it is time to inform the officials about your condition.
- For this, you can call 311 if you live in the United States of America and contact your local govt.
- Call these people and inquire to see if there is a space or any specific region which lets you dispose of your old garbage cans.
- You can ask them how to inform those officials before throwing these garbage cans.
- In that case, they may ask you to contact the nearest local waste management company or group and inform that that you are going to throw a large recycling bin item.
Putting That Trash Can On The Curb:
Once the officials have been made aware of your situation, ensure that you strictly follow the local govt laws and place those waste garbage cans at an appropriate location.
In this case, either you place that trash can upside down if it has wheels. Or you place it almost 3 feet from the nearest car pickup.
Besides, turning it upside down will help your local waste collecting group know that the trash can is totally empty.
What If They Don’t Pick It Up:
In any case, if a normal trash run in your area doesn’t bother those trash cans pickers pick the can; you can use a saw and cut that can into smaller pieces.
Do this and pack out the pieces in plastic bags.
After this, the next run of that trash coup will defiantly make them understand that now they have to pick this trash. Because at that time, it will look more significant.
Way 2: Using The Trash Can Or Old Recycling Bin For Unique Purposes:
Remember that part when I said that you could use an old recycling bin for many new purposes?
Yes, you do. Therefore, here, we will look for ways that actually help you in making an old metal recycling bin used again. Please have a look!
Make Your Old Recycling Bin Collecting Rain Water:
Instead of just throwing it away, garbage or trash bins can be reused for rainwater collecting.
Many people have used their old bins as a good source or an alternative to keep a good amount of water whenever the rain comes.
You can do so by learning how to make your old recycling bin ready for collecting rainwater, as shown in the video below.
Make An Old Recycling Bin A Storage For Keeping Sport Or Cleaning Equipment.
We have a lot of cleaning equipment in our house, including the brush and garden tools like rakes and shovels.
Besides, sports equipment like a racket, golf bat, cricket bat, or whatever you have inside your home can be contained in an old recycling bin.
However, it will depend on the size of an old bin and how large it is to keep all these items in one place.
But always ensure cleaned garbage can from dust and garbage in case you want to put this equipment inside the bin.
You Can Convent An Old Recycling Bin Into A Composite Bin:
An empty recycling bin can easily be converted into a composite bin. A composite bin is a great source for boosting your gardening soil.
For this, you can do the following things to make a composite bin out of an old recycling bin.
- At first, make or drill holes on the sides and the bottom of your trash bin, which can provide air.
- Now, once this is done, go for adding the uncooked vegetable scraps. Plant material and dried leaves into the bin.
- After that, to keep that bin moist, please turn it in every two weeks. All you need to do for this is to put the lid on, turn it on its side and then roll it.
- Consider placing the composite bin on bricks for an increment in the proper air circulation.
Use An Old Recycling Bin For Keeping Pet Food:
If you keep pets like dogs, cats, and others, an empty or an old recycling bin is always a better option for keeping the pet food.
This will save the time and energy you would spend otherwise by running towards the store to buy that food.
Moreover, having this food stored in bulk at home would help you save money and have cheaper food in the long run.
However, always ensure that the empty recycling bin is fully cleaned before you use it to keep pet food.
Way 3: Recycling An Old Recycling Bin:
The last option you can figure out with a recycling bin is actually sending it to a recycling center so that something new should be made of that material.
For that, you can follow the simple steps of how an old recycling bin goes to a recycling center for recycling purposes.
Locating A Nearest Recycling Center:
Visit IWANTTOBERECYCLED.ORG and find your nearest recycling center. Ask them if they have a recycling unit to recycle those cans, and after that, you need to bring those old recycling bins to those stations.
However, in any case, you feel hazardous bringing that trash can to the nearest recycling center. Such as, if the can doesn’t fit inside your car, ask them if they offer any pickup service.
You Can Make Money From Those Old Recycling Bins:
There might be various scrap metal recycling facilities when you visit GOTSCRACP.COM. In most cases, you would easily find a facility like that near you.
And if you find it, bring those old recycling bins to that scrapping center. You may get some money paid for selling those empty trash bins or recycling bins there.
Way 4: Help Somebody Else With That Old Recycling Bin:
Before you do anything with that old metal bin, look closely to see if it is still in a good condition to help somebody else who doesn’t have this equipment in their home.
Yes, you can do so. In most cases, even if the old trash bins haven’t expired or gone out of usage, we likely go to buy a new and better one.
It could be a unit with usually more capacity, and in that case, the old one becomes useless for you. But it could be useful for somebody else at the same moment.
So, please consider donating that recycling bin to a charity or a nonprofit organization. Ask these organizations if they are helping needy families with these cans even.
And if they do so, do whatever they say to donate those old recycling bins to these needy people of your town.
Final Thoughts:
Conclusively, it is okay to recycle old recycle bins in case you find no other alternative. But one must always look for those modern ways to help you learn different ways to use an old recycling bin. Therefore, if you have read this article, I am pretty sure that you are aware of all those things you can do with an old recycling bin. But due to any reason, complexity, or confusion you have any queries in your mind, please do not wait for a second to let me know about them.
Today, chatting with such a bold person like you has been a pleasure. Keep visiting to learn more about recycling bins and their usage. Have a nice day!
References:
https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1620655114
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S135964541200799
James is an organic fertilizer professional who owns a successful organic fertilizer company in new jersey. He is an expert in waste management in both houses and community cases. In his free time, he loves to write about his experiences in the field.