Can you recycle used braces? Well, you can ask your dentist (seriously, sometimes they can reuse the brackets). Keep reading for other metal items you probably thought you couldn’t recycle, here are some of it.
- Household items (appliances such as refrigerators, curtain rods, lawn chairs, pots, pans, tools) – some recycling programs will take them, but in most areas you have to drop them off at a recycling plant.
- Paper clips – most recycling programs will take them if they are kept together (put them inside a small cardboard box you are recycling anyway).
- Staples – hard to recycle, but note that you don’t typically need to take them out when recycling paper.
- Wire hangers – take them to your dry cleaner; some recycling programs will take them.
Doing this will give you an easier than remembering to put in your retainer. In many places, you can chuck your metal items in your recycling bin. Another is, less energy use. According to the EPA, 75% of trash can be recycled, but only 25% actually is and metal recycling results in 74% less energy use. Lastly, there will be a less mine waste. Metal recycling creates 97% less mine waste than producing virgin metal.




