Recycle Old Curtains ♻️

Recycle Old Curtains ♻️: Are you doing a major house makeover? If so, one thing you would want to change is those old curtains. But, where do you take them after years of wear and tear? Can you recycle them, instead? Read here to learn more.

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A bit about Waster

Before I discuss how to recycle old curtains, let me share with you more information about Waster.

We here at Waster provide you with innovative solutions for your and your business’s waste management and recycling needs. Furthermore, we provide flexible, 30-day contracts instead of the typical lock-in contracts, which proves to be better.

Click on the blue button to learn more.

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READ: Can VHS Videos Be Recycled? 📼

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Can you recycle old curtains?

Curtains have been around for a very long time. And, emphasis on the “LONG” part; the Egyptians have long been using them for as early as 3100 B.C. Furthermore, they also invented the early curtains. So, even now in the present, every house contains curtains. They not only protect us from the harshness of the sun and coldness of the nighttime, but they also protect our privacy at any time of the day. Additionally, they also make our house look nice, too, which is a big bonus.

But, what can you do with them if you want to dispose of them and buy new ones? You would not want them cluttered in your house, right? Not with their sheer amount and size, surely you would not. Can you recycle your old curtains, instead?

Answer: Usually, curtains cannot go into your kerbside recycling bin. That is because it is made up of different textile materials such as different fabrics, silk, cotton, and polyester. Although there have been some cases of recycling programmes accepting curtains, there are quite a few in number, so expect your recycling programme not to accept such items. But, you can find other options if you search and contact the right organisations.

Where to recycle them

Here in Australia, there are quite a number of companies/organisations that accept textile products – curtains included – and recycle them.

The first thing you could do is to donate them to charity. Provided they are in good condition, you can put them in the collection bin for donations or give them to the workers who manage the donated products.

Additionally, you can also post them on Freecycle. You can post almost any kind of items on Freecycle. So, if you want to dispose of your curtains without sending them to a landfill, one of your best bets is Freecycle. There are also a number of organisations like King Cotton that can collect your clothing and textiles – such as curtains – and either donate, reuse,  or recycle them.

For hard-to-recycle curtains, you can also upcycle them, instead. Basically, upcycling is a tad bit different from recycling. Upcycling means reusing already discarded products and turning them into something more useful. Whereas, recycling means turning waste into something reusable. You can upcycle your curtains and turn them into a bed canopy, apron, draft stopper, shopping bag, and even a kid’s fort for your children (or for your still-children at heart). Look for fun ideas at this website named DIY & Crafts for more information.

If no other options arise when you try to recycle your old curtains, turn them into rags, instead. Use them to clean your house; mop, polish, or wipe; or anything you would want to use them for! Furthermore, if you know someone who works at usually messy places like a mechanic or a cook, you can offer them cut-outs of curtains turned into rags so that they can have more cleaning equipment.

What about plastic shower curtains?

Plastic shower curtains are most usually found in bathrooms. Is there any chance for plastic shower curtains to be recycled? The simple answer here is no. Shower curtains are usually made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or number 3 plastic. As such, they are hard to recycle. Additionally, it is also one of the most toxic plastics, so recycling them – or even having one at your house – might not be the idea. The best thing you could do with your PVC shower curtains is to reuse or repurpose them. In a Recycle Nation article, there are some examples you could do with them. So, read their article to learn more.

Can you recycle the other parts of an old curtain?

Aside from the curtain itself, it also consists of other parts such as the curtain rods and the little rings it has. So, naturally, when you want to recycle your old curtains, you also have to consider recycling the rods and rings they go with.

One would want to recycle their curtain’s metal rods due to the metal being one of the most recyclable materials there is. Additionally, you can also recycle it again and again without worrying about degradation, unlike plastic. You can recycle your metal curtain rods by putting them in your kerbside metal recycling bin. Just remember to remove any other unnecessary parts like plastic.

As for the rings, they can either be plastic or wooden. You cannot throw either wooden or plastic curtain rings in your recycling bins. So, the best thing you could do is to reuse and repurpose them. Below is an example of how to repurpose your curtain rings.
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Recycle old curtains: conclusion

You first have to consider recycling all the parts: the curtain, the curtain holder, and the curtain rings. You can dispose of curtains in a variety of ways without sending them into a landfill, but kerbside recycling is not available in almost all recycling programs here in Australia.

Additionally, you should also avoid recycling plastic shower curtains. And, try to recycle the curtain rods by putting them in the recycling bin; it is the most recyclable part of the curtain. As for the wooden or plastic rings, the best thing you could do with them is to repurpose and reuse them.

Waster: things you need to know

If you’re looking for recycling bins, check our waste recycling shop and find the best deals in terms of pricing and services.

Also, please call 1300 WASTER (1300 927 837), or email us at [email protected] if you have any further questions.