Surprising Items That Should Never Go in the Trash

Most of us use lighter fluid when we’re cooking some delicious barbeque. However, do not throw leftover fluid in the garbage. Lighter fluid is a fuel, which means it’s categorized as hazardous waste.

If you have brown paper bags around your house, we’re here to tell you not to throw them away. The next time you’re done eating your lunch out of your brown bag, save it because they may come in handy on a rainy day. 

You’re probably asking yourself, why should I be keeping broken pieces of tile? Pieces of your floor broke off, and it’s time to throw them in the garbage!

You just finished cooking dinner and you only have a few drops of oil left in the bottle. You could either throw it out or use those last drops for something useful.

When it comes to old flags, not only is it frowned upon to throw them out, but the United States Flag Code was written in 1976 to address the issue of their disposal.

What do you do after you finish feeding your baby and the jar is empty? We’re guessing you probably thrown the jar in the garbage, but we have a better suggestion for you.

Is painting a hobby of yours? When you finish your paint cans, where do you put them? Depending on what the paint is made out of, you may be harming the environment if you toss them in the trash. 

The next time you finish your toilet paper or paper towel roll, consider saving them instead of throwing them out. They can actually be used as an organizer for your accessories.

As a general rule, anything that’s made of metal can be recycled, and old pots and pans are definitely included in this category.

Let’s say you just finished eating your dinner and the bones are the only thing left on your plate. Obviously, your first instinct would be to throw them out, but maybe consider saving those bones for later use. 

We know it can be hard to part from the swing set you had in your backyard for years, but if your kids moved out years ago, it may be time to say goodbye. 

What do you do with the weekend paper after you finish reading it? Before you throw the paper out, consider reusing it for gardening purposes.

A lot of us drink wine and have plenty of wine corks lying around. Instead of putting them in the garbage, they can actually be used for some fun DIY projects! 

Let’s say you just finished cooking a meal and you have a lot of excess oil in your pan. What should you do with it? 

We do have to be more mindful of the things we throw out because putting them in the trash can actually mean serious trouble.

Who finds dryer lint super annoying? You always have to remember to remove it from your dryer and it sometimes makes a huge mess. 

When your laptop is ready to be put to rest, don’t throw it out in the trash. Laptops hold extremely toxic materials like chromium, mercury, and lead. The good news is that some stores offer help when it comes to disposing of laptops.

When you hear the word compost, what comes to mind? When you’re composting at home, most people think of eggshells and vegetable peels, but there are actually other things you can use to compost, like dead plants. 

Have you ever thought about using your empty liquor bottles for something useful? We know that some of you line the top of your kitchen cabinet with empty bottles for some odd reason, but why not take one down and use it as a cool soap dispenser?

Isn’t it frustrating when our knee-length or over-the-knee-length boots lose their shape and crinkle? How do we prevent this from happening?

Don’t be so quick to throw out your ink cartridges. When your ink runs out, it’s normal to want to toss it, but we have some better ideas for you.

Before you throw out your latest egg carton, consider using it to make a DIY jewelry storage project. All you need is some paint and your accessories.

When your fluorescent lightbulb stops working, please do not throw it out in the garbage. It may be tempting, but it’s actually very bad for the environment. 

Do you have an old-school thermometer in your house? If you do it might contain Mercury. Mercury can be very dangerous if it’s released into the environment, so you can’t simply dispose of it in the trash.

Similar to lighter fluid, motor oil is just as equally flammable. If you need to dispose of this oil, you should never dump it in the garbage. 

If your phone or tablet is on its last leg, it might be time to buy a new one. But just like laptops, other electronic devices are made up of hazardous materials like chromium, mercury, and lead, and you can’t toss them in the trash. 

At some point our toothbrushes get old, and it’s time to buy new ones. But before you throw them in the trash, consider saving them because toothbrushes can come in handy when it comes to cleaning.

If you’re disposing of medications, it needs to be done safely—we want to avoid medications getting into the water supply, or winding up in the wrong hands. 

What do you do with a knife you don’t want? For safety reasons, please don’t simply throw it out—we have a few suggestions. If it’s still functional, you can donate it to a thrift shop or soup kitchen. 

When you finish reading a book, what do you with it? When it comes to books, they definitely do not belong in the trash. If the book is torn up, you can recycle it, but if it’s in decent condition, recycling isn’t the best option. 

Need a small shovel to scoop out your pet food or to tend to your garden? If you forgot to buy one at the store, don’t worry! As long as you have an empty gallon or half-gallon container of milk, you can make a fun DIY project.

Once your bread runs out, how many of you are saving the bread tags? Probably none, but they might come in handy if you have different wires in your house. 

Just like knives, putting broken pieces of glass in the garbage is a terrible idea. Someone can get seriously hurt while handling a bag that has these pieces (especially if they’re unaware of it).

As you can probably guess, needles cannot be tossed into your regular trash, and we think it’s pretty self-explanatory. From whatever substance is in the needle to the sharp needle itself, you need to take precautions.

Wonder what you can do with your empty tea tins? Instead of throwing them out, how about turning them into scented candles?

Think twice before tossing your mail in the trash. The first reason is an obvious one—you’re wasting paper, and you should be recycling. The second reason is actually less environmentally motivated but still potentially damaging—there might be private information that could be used by identity thieves.

While you shouldn’t be wasting your laundry detergent, sometimes there’s reason to spill it out. Maybe you’re allergic or you don’t like the smell, but whatever the reason is, do not toss it into the bin.

If you have any old knobs lying around, you should actually keep them. That’s because you can turn them into a decorative rack for your keys on the wall or a place to hang your hats and umbrellas

Imagine that you just lit a match to light your birthday candles. Now, what should you do with the used match? 

Your blow dryer will break at some point, and when it does, how are you supposed to dispose of it? Electric items can be very toxic and contain chemicals such as chromium, cadmium, and lead. 

Here’s some really terrible news—according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 10.5 million tons of textiles wound up in landfills in 2015! When you don’t want to wear your clothes anymore, what do you do with them?

When it comes to space heaters, knowing where to throw them out can get a little tricky. It really depends on what material the heater is made out of. If it’s made out of plastic, there’s no problem throwing it out with the rest of your trash.

Before you throw out your used aluminum foil, think again, because it can actually be used for quite a number of things. We know we all have a habit of throwing things out, but this might convince you. 

This one is less harmful and more annoying. Let’s say that your refrigerator is old and you’re in need of a replacement. You can carry it down your 4 flight building with no elevator, but that’s extremely annoying and terrible for your back.

What should you do with your old mattress? You’ve had the same mattress for your years, and you’re in desperate need of an upgrade. When you throw out the old one though, don’t leave it plain on the street. 

How annoying is it when you’re almost done with the bar of soap, and you just have a small piece left? It’s nearly impossible to use that piece, but instead of throwing it out, we have a better solution. 

While you can throw out your old bicycle, we’re not sure why you would, considering all of the parts that can be recycled. Instead of taking the lazy way out, there are so many charities that will happily take your old bikes off your hands. 

If you have no use for your tools or want to swap them for brand new ones, you may want to toss them in the trash. However, you should consider doing one of two things. 

The EPA says that pesticides should not be disposed of in your regular trash can, and this statement includes mothballs. That’s because mothballs actually contain ingredients such as naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene.