Last Updated on January 10, 2023
While most kitchen knives are quite durable and have a long lifespan, they have to be disposed of after a certain period of time.
Whether you have a new knife collection or you want to get rid of blunt blades, you should take some precautionary measures while getting rid of your old kitchen knives. You don’t want such knives to slice through your garbage bag and hurt someone, do you?
In this post, we are going to show you how to dispose of kitchen knives safely and responsibly.
To the Bin for Good
If your old knives’ functionality has become a significant issue and it’s high time to send them to the dumpster, then you can employ these methods.
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Wrap the Kitchen Knives
The first thing you need to do when disposing of knives is to wrap the sharp edge. You can use various tools or accessories to wrap the edges of kitchen knives. Examples of such accessories include newspapers, cardboard, papers, or bubble wrap. Once you wrap the blades with a newspaper or cardboard, use tape to secure the newspaper into position.
To conceal the sharp edges of the blade, you need to wrap it completely. This also makes it easier for you to prevent injury to anyone who may be handling your trash in the future.
Conceal the Tips of the Knives With a Cork
Now, once you wrap the knife blade with a newspaper, you have to conceal the tip of the knife to prevent any accident. While newspapers can conceal the sharp edges of the blade, they don’t conceal its sharp tip. Try pushing a cork onto the pointed end for added safety.
Put the Knives in a Strong Container That Is Puncture Proof
To get rid of knives in a secure way, you have to place them in a box or container that is puncture-proof. You should also seal the box with tape.
Unlike garbage bags, such containers are rigid and don’t tear apart easily. Not to mention, it becomes quite easy to transport knives from one point to another while these are secured in containers.
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Label the Containers That Have Kitchen Knives
By adding a label that reads “caution: sharp knives“, or something to the same effect, you are building awareness and doing everything in your power to prevent any accidents from occurring. This ensures that whoever handles your trash will be able to do their job safely.
Place the Knives Box Near the Top
Once you have sealed and labelled the box, place it near the top, or on top, of your garbage trash can or a wheelie bin.
By placing your secured box near the top – with the label in view, you will reduce the risk of someone injuring themselves, and protect the garbagemen from having an accident. You could even wait for the collection to go past and ask them directly to dispose of them for you to avoid it altogether.
Alternative Methods to Safely Dispose of Old Kitchen Knives
Are there any other alternative methods to dispose of old kitchen knives? Well, there are tons of other solutions that you can consider if you want to get rid of kitchen knives. You can try the following:
Recycling
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Recycling is one of the most environment-friendly ways of disposing of non-biodegradable products.
First, you have to look for the local recycling centre that is closest to you. Search for a scrap metal recycling centre. Once you find it, visit your local recycling centre’s website to find their contact information.
Make a call and inquire about the knife recycling and waste disposal process. The scrap metal recycling centre will take you through the different steps that you should take if you want to drop off your knives for recycling.
Not to mention, you can dispose of kitchen knives in a knife amnesty bin that might be near your local police station. A knife amnesty bin is a special bin that is designed for knife disposal. A kitchen knife or a combat knife can be disposed of in an amnesty bin.
Donate
If you bought a new kitchen knife collection and your old knives are still in a good condition, then you should consider donating them. You can donate them to a second-hand store, a charity shop, a soup kitchen, a salvation army, or a local shelter. Visit the website of different donation centres to find their contact information.
The good thing about donating is that some organisations might come to pick up the old kitchen knives at your door.
Before you pack the old kitchen knives for donation, make sure that you clean them properly. You can also go a step further and sharpen them if they were blunt.
Once you do that, wrap the old kitchen knives carefully and put them in a puncture-proof case or box. Label it by writing the number and type of kitchen knives that it contains. Finish off by writing a message that informs the user to handle the case carefully.
Try a Knife Sharpener
We understand the frustration of having blunt knives that make food prep a chore. But always examine your stainless steel knives and check whether they are repairable or not. You might be quite surprised to know that knives can be sharpened and restored fairly easily. Use your knife sharpener to make your cutting tools like new so you can slice veg and meat like a pro once again.
On the other hand, if the knives are damaged beyond repair, you should get rid of them. For instance, if the edges have some curves, then even sharpening will not be able to save them. Furthermore, you should also dispose of the knife if the handle is broken as using a damaged knife could actually cause serious injury.
Over to You
Kitchen knives have to be disposed of in a safe way. This makes it easier for you to avoid any injuries to your self or the bin men. Just wrap the blades with a newspaper or any other material, then put them in a puncture-proof box. With different garbage disposal options, it becomes quite simple to get rid of kitchen knives. Not to mention, there are various recycling centres that can reprocess knives into other products. Plus, you can also donate kitchen knives to various organisations.
Now you know how to dispose of kitchen knives, we hope you will do so responsibly.
Ian loves everything that revolves around the home improvement niche. He loves trying out new home appliances. He has also handled a lot of equipment and has a lot of insight. Plus, he’s worked on various home improvement projects that became a success. If Ian isn’t busy working on his latest project, you can find him reading up about another one!