Almost every home has a bathroom sink, and after using it for a certain period of time, you might want to replace it with a new one. Replacing the old bathroom sink with a new one is very easy, but disposing of the old sink is not.
That leads us to a very important guide on “how to dispose of a bathroom sink.” Usually, bathroom sinks are made with different materials, and the most common ones are made of cast iron and enamel paint finish. Others are made with ceramic and built with marble or other stones. These used and old sinks cause environmental pollution if not disposed of properly.
In addition, they add they contribute to environmental waste materials and stimulate environmental degradation. This article will teach you how to dispose of your old bathroom to save and protect mother earth.
Here’s how to despose of a bathroom sink:
If your bathroom sink can be recycled, then you can dispose of it by depositing it at a recycling unit. However, if it is in good condition and made of stone or ceramic material, you can dispose of it by selling it off as an antique. But if the bathroom sink is in bad condition, call your council to come and collect the item.
Since you have installed a new bathroom sink, the old one has become useless, and now it is only occupying space in your house. If you simply throw them away inappropriately, they will get deposited as waste and add to environmental pollution. To appropriately dispose of your old bathroom sink, you can follow the steps below.
Reselling the bathroom sink
Many stores will buy your old bathroom sink from you for good money if it is still in good or average condition. Stone or ceramic are old bathroom sinks made with durable materials that enable them to withstand the toughest tests with few scratches since they can’t be recycled or used for other reasons. The best way to dispose of them is by selling them off as antiques.
Because the stone or ceramic bathroom sinks are costly, many people can’t afford to buy new ones. Therefore, there is great demand for old and used ceramic bathroom sinks in the market. You will be shocked by the demand and the good price you will get for this product.
However, before you plan on disposing of your sink by reselling it, make sure the sink has good resell value before you put it up on antique or e-commerce sites.
Crushing
Crushing is another great way to dispose of your old bathroom sink. Several companies would buy your old bathroom sink from you, crush them, and sell the crushed particles as backfill in construction projects or as an aggregate base for road construction.
Recycle
Recycling is the act of making something new out of what has been before. You can dispose of your bathroom sink by recycling it. If the sink is made up of metal, then it can be recycled. To recycle your bathroom sink, you can take it to the nearest recycling center around you. At the recycling center, the recycler can recycle the sink by melting the metal and refining it. The old sink metal can then be used to make something new.
The recycler will collect and weigh the sink, and they may even reward you for bringing the sink to them. But before driving down to the recycling center, it is important you verify is your bathroom sink is recyclable to avoid wasting your gas money driving down. Recycling is the most effective way of disposing of a bathroom sink. However, not all bathroom sinks are recyclable.
Below are some of the important steps to follow if you are disposing of your bathroom sink via recycling.
- If you are transporting the old bathroom sink from your house to the recycling center, you need to first check with the recycling center to know if you need any permission or ID to recycle your sink. It is also important to make an appointment or get to know their opening and closing times.
- Some recycling centers will ask you to put your bathroom sink into the Hardcore and rubble skips, while others have skips just for ceramic items.
- Ensure to remove all tapes and place them in the mixed metal skips.
Call the council/waste management.
This is the last option. Suppose your bathroom sink doesn’t have a good resale value and cannot be recycled. Then the only option left is to call the council to come to get the sink. There is a charge involved with this, and the charges depend on the type of bathroom you want to dispose of or how heavy and bulky the sink is.
Can you recycle a cast iron sink?
A cast iron sink is made of cast iron and enamel paint. The enable paints are applied to the top for finishing, and glaze is added to the clay to make these droplets. Therefore, the sink can be easily recycled due to cast iron components.
Can you recycle stainless steel sinks?
The bathroom stainless steel sinks are made with steel, rubber, putty, and brass; therefore, disposing of them inappropriately will damage the environment since stainless steel sinks can be recycled to produce other useful items because they contain some essential components like steel, rubber, putty, and brass.
Conclusion
As the homeowner, it is your responsibility to ensure that your old bathroom sink is properly disposed of. Not all builders are reputable, so it is important you follow up and insist on disposing of the old bathroom sink the right way. If you fail to dispose of your sink properly, you could be charged or fined by the council or state government.
In addition, you would be damaging mother earth. The last thing you want is for your old bathroom sink to be standing next on the road near the traffic light or bus stop. It is up to you and everyone to protect the earth. We all must play our part in keeping the earth waste-free by disposing of our old items properly.
