When it comes to garden hoses and recycling, they’re a confusing item to categorize. Often constructed of multiple materials, it’s hard to know whether hoses can even be recycled based on what they’re made out of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Garden hoses should not be put in the recycling because they can cause serious problems at the recycling plant that threaten plant workers and equipment. Instead, garden hoses should be thrown in the trash or upcycled for other uses around the home. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a few things that absolutely should never end up in the recycling bin, and hoses are one of them. That being said, there are still plenty of other things you can do to upcycle an old or leaking garden hose. Read on to learn more about why you shouldn’t recycle garden hoses and what you can do with them instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Garden hoses are used by many people for landscaping, but it’s often a puzzle what to do with them once they’ve outlived their usefulness and need to be replaced with a newer hose. It’s unfortunate, but old hoses can’t go in your recycling for several reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These risks should be more than enough to convince you that garden hoses don’t belong anywhere near your recycling bin. This is why it’s always a good idea to double-check the items in your recycling before you put it out to make sure that nothing non-recyclable accidentally made it in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the biggest reasons that garden hoses are a non-recyclable item is due to their construction materials. Garden hoses are typically made out of the following materials: <\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to garden hose construction materials, it isn’t just what the hoses are made out of. It also has to do with the form of the hose. Many hoses are constructed with an internal net-like structure of plastic holding the shape of the hose together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This plastic netting is typically built into the hose itself and makes it impossible to separate out the other materials of the hose out for recycling even if they’re recyclable materials. There also isn’t a lot of plastic available to even make it worth the trouble for recycling workers to try and extract it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though your garden hose itself typically can’t be recycled, that doesn’t mean that the metal fittings on your hose can’t be recycled. Since these threaded fittings are usually pure metal, they can go in with the metal in your recycling after you cut them off the garden hose. At least this way you’ll be able to recycle part of the hose and won’t be forced to trash the entire thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, there are no garden hoses you can recycle no matter what materials they’re made out of. Even if a garden hose was made out of 100% recyclable materials, the shape of the hose itself makes it a hazard at the recycling plant. (Source: Providence Journal<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n To dispose of a garden hose, first remove it from the faucet and reel and allow it to dry out for 24-48 hours. After the hose has been given a chance to dry, take a utility knife or other sharp cutting tool and remove the metal threaded fittings on either end of the hose. These fittings can go in the recycling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you’ve removed any metal fittings from your hose, you can dispose of your hose in the trash. It’s a good idea to take your knife and run a slit up the length of the hose before chopping it into sections since it may pose a hazard to wildlife in its original state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you throw out your old garden hose to replace it with a new one, consider some other ways you might use your old hose around your home. Since you can’t recycle garden hoses the traditional way, it may take a little creativity on your part to give your old garden hose a new lease on life after replacing it in the garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are just a few of the many ways you can upcycle an old garden hose for other uses around the house (Source: One Good Thing<\/a>): <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hopefully the ideas above give you some inspiration about what to do with your old garden hose before you decide to put it out with the garbage bin. Often a hose can live a second life as another household tool with a little imagination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have an old hose lying around and you don’t want to use it anymore, there are still more alternatives you have other than to either throw the hose out or reuse it somewhere around the house. Here are a few of the choices you have for getting rid of old garden hoses without throwing them away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the only reason you’re getting rid of your garden hose is that it has a small leak, you have the option to repair the hose. Hose repair kits are easy to purchase from most home improvement stores, and a simple leak is usually easy to fix once you know where in the hose the leak is originating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another choice you have for dealing with an old garden hose is to donate the hose to a secondhand store like Goodwill or some other thrift store. Even if the hose is slightly damaged, many second hand stores will still take the hose in to repair it for resell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Donating old garden hoses to charity thrift stores is also a practical option if you have an old hose you want to replace with a newer model, but there’s nothing physically wrong with the old one. Sometimes you need a longer or newer hose for your landscaping needs, but that doesn’t justify tossing out a perfectly good one. If you don’t have room to store it, try donation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A benefit of donating your old garden hose to the Salvation Army or Goodwill is that you can write off the donation on your taxes. (Source: Goodwill<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don’t want to donate your old hose to charity, there are other ways to give away a hose you’re not using anymore to someone who may need it more than you. Consider these sources when trying to find someone who needs a new hose: <\/p>\n\n\n\nGarden Hoses Can’t Be Recycled<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/li>\n\n\n\nWhat Are Garden Hoses Made Of?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/li>\n\n\n\nCan You Recycle the Metal Fittings on Your Hose?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Are There Any<\/em> Garden Hoses You Can Recycle? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Dispose of Old Hoses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ways to Reuse an Old Gardening Hose at Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/li>\n\n\n\nAlternatives to Throwing Out an Old Hose<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Repairing an Old Hose<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Donating an Old Hose<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Giving Away an Old Hose<\/h2>\n\n\n\n