How do you dispose of old kitchen knives: 4 Simple Steps


How do you dispose of old kitchen knives

Nothing lasts forever, your most reliable knives included. Sometimes we develop a bond with our knives, but there comes a time when you have to let your kitchen companions go.

This doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the end for them, though! There are a lot of things you can do besides disposing of them – you can donate them, sell them, and even recycle them.

Before you decide what to do with your good, old kitchen knife, there are some precautions you need to take if you decide to dispose of it – just in case.

How do you dispose of old kitchen knives?

To safely dispose of old knives, you need to think about one thing: safety. You are not the only one who is going to handle your knife after you throw it away.

An easy way to avoid any sort of problems with your knife’s blade is to dull it with a hammer – but that would ruin it forever.

To properly secure your knife without dulling it, you will need a plastic bottle or a box, a cork, bubble wrap or cardboard, and tape.

First step:

you need to wrap your kitchen blade in either bubble wrap or cardboard. You need to do it tightly, make sure it won’t slip in any way once you are done. Once it is perfectly wrapped, you need to seal it away with tape. Any kind of tape will do.

-If you don’t have bubble wrap or cardboard, you can use an old newspaper. Make sure you use several pages to cover the blade.

Second step:

Once your blade is wrapped and secured, place a cork on the tip of your knife. This might seem like a step you can skip, but it’s incredibly important. The tip of your knife is the most dangerous part of it, and it’s the one that can cause the most trouble.

Third step (A):

If you are using a small box, all you have to do is place the knife inside. Make sure you use extra tape to seal the box as well. The knife needs to be perfectly covered in bubble wrap, cardboard or newspaper pages before you do this.

Third step (B):

If you are using a bottle, make a narrow cut on top of it. Place the knives inside the bottle. Always point the knives downward when you do. You can also tape the bottle to secure the knives and avoid any unneeded movement after you throw it away.

-You should label either the box or bottle as “Sharp” or “Dangerous” with a sharpie before you throw it away.

Fourth step:

Once you secured the knife inside a bottle or a box, it’s time to throw it away. Never put it inside your trash can like you would do with any other thing – no matter how good you secured the knife, it can always let itself loose. Put the bottle or the box outside.

If you like your knife (or knives) you should consider restoring it. Even the nastiest, rustiest knives can be salvaged – there are professionals who dedicate themselves to this very activity and can bring a knife back to life like you wouldn’t believe.

If you think your knife has a little bit more time in it but you don’t need it anymore, you can think about alternative methods of disposal.

Alternate methods of kitchen knives disposal.

If you don’t want to throw your knives into the garbage, there are a couple more options for you. Bear in mind you still have to wrap your knives safely before you give them away. It doesn’t matter if you are not going to throw them into the trash, you have to keep other people’s safety in mind.

How to recycle your old knives?

If you want to do the environmentally-right thing, you can always recycle your knives. Like you would do with any other option here, wrap them up before you take them to your nearest recycling center.

You should call the recycling site of your choice to make sure they accept kitchen knives. Several waste disposal sites accept old knives and other types of scrap metal as well.

Recycling your knives is a great thing to do, but you should think about other options before you do it. There are a lot of beginners who want to buy a cheap knife before they move onto more expensive items – and your knife could be the one for them!

How to sell your old knives?

There are a couple of places where you can sell your knives. Pawnshops will probably accept anything you throw at them, knives included – but you would get as little money as possible. Friends and family are always a better target audience for used goods, especially if they are in good condition.

You can try to sell them online – but you need to be aware of laws and regulations of both your country and city before you do.

Plenty of online market places will accept your knives with no trouble on their behalf, but you will have to follow their guidelines as well – make sure you are informed before you try to sell your old knives online!

How to donate your old knives?

If you wish to do a good deed – or at least, your good deed of the day – you can donate your knife. There are plenty of places that will happily accept your knives, even if they aren’t in great condition.

Shelters and charity shops around your area are a good bet as to where to try first.

If you have decided to donate them, there’s something you should do before you wrap them: wash your knives! After they are nice and shiny, wrap them up. And now they are ready for goodwill.

Conclusion.

Now you know how to safely dispose of your old kitchen knives! Always wrap them up to avoid any injuries, no matter what you decide to do with them. And remember: your old kitchen knife can still be useful, even if you don’t have any use for it anymore. Consider donating it before you throw it away, turn it into scrap metal, or sell it.

Ahmed

I’m Ahmed, the guy behind Knifepulse.com. I’ve owned several types of knives and sharpeners over the last few years and have become obsessed with everything to do with knives. I’m always trying to improve my cleaning and sharpening process, and always on the hunt for the next best knife. But when I’m not spending time with my hobby, I’m here, writing about Knives and Sharpeners on KnifePulse to share with you what I learn along the way.

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