With a bit of luck, investing in a good set of kitchen knives should mean you don’t have to worry about getting rid of them for quite some time. Invest in a professional knife sharpener, and you can keep old knives looking great for longer. However, there will eventually come a time when you need to throw knives from your kitchen away, which can cause some confusion.
Knives are hazardous, sharp objects which don’t generally belong in your standard trash. Throwing your kitchen knives in your trash can could cause serious issues, particularly when they slice open your bin bag.
So, are you wondering how to dispose of kitchen knives? What are you supposed to do? Do you take your knives to the local police station or local recycling centre? Do you need to arrange for someone to get rid of them for you – just like other pieces of scrap metal?
Let’s find out!
Can You Put Old Knives in the Bin?
Kitchen knives are an important investment for any household, but even an old knife blade can be a dangerous item to put in your standard bin. Though putting a kitchen knife in your wheelie bin is legal, it can be problematic.
Placing your kitchen knife inside a standard bin bag means that it could easily poke out and scratch your bin. Even worse, the sharp edges could catch refuse professionals when they’re dealing with your trash.
Though most waste collections are done via automated methods these days, it’s still important to think carefully about how you package your old kitchen knives when throwing them into the trash. The last thing you want is for your old knife to cause a serious injury.
To safely dispose of your kitchen knives, follow these tips.
How to Get Rid of an Old Kitchen Knife
First, make sure you are sure that you want to dispose of old kitchen knives. Many people buy knives and throw them out as soon as they start to get dull. However, you can sharpen your knives and bring them back to life in no time. There are tons of tools out there to revive the sharp edges of your knives. If you have a set of good quality knives, this means that you can continue to use them for longer, and you don’t have to waste money on a new set of knives.
If you can’t sharpen your old kitchen knives, make sure you have the right plan for throwing them away. The safest option could be to blunt the knife edge. You can do this by tapping a hammer along the blade to get rid of the sharp side. If your old knives are already pretty dull, you can skip this part and wrap your knife before placing it in the trash.
To save some cash on bubble wrap:
- Wrap your old kitchen knives in pieces of newspaper and scrap paper. You can use tape to attach the newspaper to the knife.
- Make sure you wrap the newspaper around several times and consider placing the knife in a cardboard sleeve, an old, padded envelope, or a used plastic bag, to be extra safe
- If you’re worried about someone handling the knife, try writing “sharp” on the newspaper before you throw the package in the bin.
Alternative Methods to Dispose of Old Knives
If the above option for disposing of knives doesn’t appeal to you, there are some alternative options. For instance, knife disposal by placing your old knives in the standard bin could mean that you’re wasting valuable metal which could be recycled. Here are some options if you’re looking for a safe way to get rid of an old knife:
Recycle Your Knives:
Check with your local recycling centre for more information on how you can recycle your knives safely. There are plenty of recycling centres that will allow you to safely recycle your kitchen knives by placing them in a scrap metal skip. Once again, you may want to wrap the blade or fold some extra tape and cardboard around it before placing it in a recycling box.
In a recycling centre, the knife needs to have an extra layer of protection because recycling refuse managers deal with the scrap metal skip directly. This means there’s a higher chance the blade you dispose of could end up cutting someone.
Selling Your Knives:
If the blade on your knife is still in good condition, but you don’t have a sharpener to give it a new lease on life, or you want to buy a new set of knives, then you can consider selling it. When you sell your old knives, you eliminate the need to find a way of getting rid of them safely. Plus, you get to make a little money when disposing of knives you no longer want.
Would you please make sure you’re honest about the state of your knives when selling them, either to friends or relatives? Trying to get a high price for low-quality blades is just wrong. If you have a very valuable knife, try doing some research into pricing.
Donate Your Knives:
Another good option for knife disposal could be donating your knives. Once again, you’ll need to ensure the quality of your blades is decent enough before you try to donate them. No one will want you to donate your old knives if they no longer work and they can’t be revived with sharpening tools. Check around local charities for options on where to donate your knives.
If you find a good cause worth donating to, make sure you wash your kitchen knives carefully and give them a quick sharpener if you can before you drop them off at the charity. Remember to be careful when you’re carrying knives to donate. Place each knife safely in a box surrounded by cardboard and bubble wrap if possible. Tape the box securely, and wrap each knife so no one will get cut accidentally.
You can look online to find a range of charitable organisations that might be willing to take your knives from you.
Getting Rid of Kitchen Knives
Finding a safe way to dispose of old kitchen knives can seem like a headache. The best option used to be to place your old kitchen knives in a cardboard box or plastic container and take them to the local police station. This would ensure that your knives got to the right local recycling companies or charity shops and reduced the risk of falling into the wrong hands.
These days, if you want to get rid of a blade safely, you need to do most of the research yourself. This means finding a charity shop or recycling centre willing to take your knife and then packaging them correctly. Whether you decide to take your knife to a charity shop or you throw it in the scrap metal section of a recycling centre, it’s always important to be careful when handling a blade.
Remember to think about whether anyone will need to hold the knife before you throw it away. If you think someone will need to pick the blade up, wrap the metal in tape and extra layers of paper before you dispose of it. This is also an important idea if you decide to sell your knife. If you’re buying a new set of knives, it often makes sense to look into donating or selling the old ones.
If you’re concerned about getting rid of your knives, and you can’t find a charity shop or recycling answer to give you the answer, you can contact your local police department about the matter. Most of the time, these professionals will be able to provide you with advice on how to wrap and dispose of your old kitchen knives correctly.
Do you have other great ways on how to dispose of kitchen knives? We’d love to hear them! Let us know your ideas in the comment section below!
