A Look At 30 Things That You Should Never Throw In Your Regular Trash Can (4 of 6)

Matches

Once you have used a matchstick to light up something, don’t simply throw it off in the dustbin. Matchsticks can cause a spark and cause fire if they accidentally rub against any rough item or surface. You wouldn’t want a fire to ruin your kid’s birthday party, right? Well, then you should soak the matches in some water before you throw them in the trash bin, to ensure safe disposal.

Old clothes

Most of us do not give a second thought before throwing away old, unused pieces of clothes in the trash can. However, do you know what actually happens to those clothes? According to the government agencies from around the world, a large chunk of landfills is filled with old clothes, and clothes aren’t exactly biodegradable materials, and end up as pollutants in the environment – causing harm to living beings and nature alike. Thankfully, there are numerous companies that offer free recycling of textiles to ensure no harm is caused to the society. Find one in your neighborhood and give away your old clothes to that facility.

Hair Styling Tools

No electric item should be thrown away in the open, and that holds true for hair styling tools as well. This is because electronic items like hair styling tools contain a number of toxic chemicals and compounds such as lead, cadmium, and chromium – all of which can cause serious damage to both living beings and the environment. The best way to ensure these don’t end up in landfills is by giving away old and unused hair styling tools at your nearest scrap dealer agency to ensure they are recycled properly.

Space Heaters

Most of us use space heaters. However, I can bet most people don’t know where and how to dispose of them. If you’re using a space heater made of entirely plastic, then you can easily dump it in your trash bin. On the other hand, if your space heater is made of metal and contains toxic elements, it should be dropped at the nearest hazardous waste collection facility to ensure it does not cause any harm to the environment. Or, if you have a space heater that is made of metal, but does not contain any kind of toxic material, you can sell it to the nearest scrap dealer who will then recycle the main metal components and dispose the other parts in an environment-friendly manner.

Old Flags

The legal and proper way to take care of old, torn flags is to burn and bury them with full honor. This even has a mention in the US Flag Code, which strictly calls for burning of the flag in the most dignified manner if the flag is not in a condition to be displayed publicly. So, if you have any ripped flags lying around, burn them properly and then bury. They deserve the respect. You can also find multiple tutorials on how to burn a ripped flag in the most dignified manner.