A Look At 30 Things That You Should Never Throw In Your Regular Trash Can (5 of 6)

Unwrapped Mattresses

Let’s accept it – most of us are unsure what to do with an old mattress. The thing is, you can easily drop it at the curb and it will be picked up by the garbage collectors, but unless you want to ensure that pests and bugs are spread out to the entire locality, you should consider packing it in plastic before you place it on the curb. In fact, the state of New York can even impose a fine of $100 if you just leave a mattress in public without covering it in plastic properly!

Old Appliances

Any kind of electrical or electronic appliance contains toxic items as well, apart from the usual metals. Therefore, it helps no one if you simply leave it on the curb one fine day, and wait for the garbage collectors to pick it up! The best way to make sure your old appliances are handled properly is to go for replacement deals that allow you to exchange your old item with a new one at a discounted price. Most of the stores would even pick up the item from your house – for free!

Ink Cartridges

If you’ve been throwing away ink cartridges in the regular trash can, please stop doing it from now on. An ink cartridge contains several toxic items that can cause harm to the environment. If you buy ink from Staples, you can easily get it recycled at the store and even get $2 for it! Alternatively, you can also bring your cartridge at a Costco store and get it filled at very low prices, and save yourself some money in the process.

Old Bicycles

Although bicycles do not really contain any kind of toxic items, you shouldn’t just throw them away. In fact, there are numerous options for you to go for. Firstly, you can go to any local scrap dealer and sell it off, as the base metal can be recycled and used for several purposes. Secondly, you can donate your bicycle to charities that help kids from deprived communities by giving them bicycles. Thirdly, some charities even help youth in learning how to build and fix a bicycle, and yours can really come in handy if its broken and not of your use anymore. So, think before you throw away your bicycle in the trash.

Pots and Pans

Although pots and pans that aren’t of any use can be recycled, you can’t get it done at the curbside recycling facility. Instead, you need to take the old and unused pots and pans to the nearest scrap dealer who would recycle them for you. However, you do need to point out if the pans and pots you offered contain a non-stick coating as well. This is because they need to remove the non-stick coating before they can finally be recycled.