Misc. Homewares

Bathroom Scales:

• If they cannot be repaired they can be brought to your civic amenity site for recycling. 

Shower Curtains:

• When buying shower curtains try to buy 100% cotton (instead of plastic), as this can be recycled and composted.
• Look for ways to upcycle and re-use old shower curtains.

Towels:

• Penneys textile take-back scheme accepts towels. Scheme is operated by Yellow Octopus who state that everything is recycled or re-used and nothing goes to landfill.
• 100% cotton towels can be composted.  Cut them into small pieces first and remove the tag.
• Upcycling ideas for towels.
• You can also cut these up and use them for cloths or rags.
• Animal Shelters are often in need of towels.
• Alternatively they can be brought to your nearest civic amenity site as they would be treated as textiles.

Bowls and Vases:

• These can be bought and sold at charity shops.
• They can also be bought and sold online, or traded or freecycled locally.
• Try your local vintage, antique and secondhand shops.

Bread Bins:

• Bring them to your civic amenity site if they are beyond repair.
• Ideas for upcycling old bread bins.

Cookware and Frying Pans:

• Repair:
  • How to repair loose handles on cookware.
  • How to restore cast iron pans.
  • Sugru – mouldable adhesive – useful for miscellaneous repairs – available at various online shops in Ireland.
• You can donate unwanted cookware to charity if it is in good condition, or sell it or give away free.
• Upcycling and repurposing:
  • Upcycling ideas for frying pans.
  • Repurposing ideas for cookware.
  • Pots and Pans – repurposing ideas.
• End of life:
  • End of life cookware, saucepans, frying pans and metal bakeware can be taken to your local civic amenity site where they will be recycled for scrap metal, if possible.
  • Note that pyrex cannot be recycled.
  • What to do with saucepans – from MyWaste.ie.

Cups, Saucers, Plates and Bowls:

• Some local vintage shops sell second-hand china – do a google search to find those in your area.
• Many Irish vintage shops on Instagram sell second-hand china.
• Crockery in good condition be donated to charity, bought and sold online or given away free.
• Pyrex tableware cannot be recycled.
• Upcycling:
  • Ideas for upcycling broken ceramics.
  • Repurposed crockery ideas.
• Repair:
  • Broken crockery can be repaired with food-safe glue or with a food-safe Kintsugi Repair Kit (see video).
  • Broken crockery that cannot be repaired or used should go in your waste bin.

Cutlery:

• Cutlery can be donated at charity shops.
• You can also sell it online, give it away free or trade/swap it.
• Metal cutlery should be taken to your local civic amenity site where it would be regarded as scrap metal.  (However, please consider donating it or giving it away first, as there are always people who can use it.)

Kitchen Utensils:

• Wooden chopping boards and utensils can be chopped up and composted at end of life.
• Metal utensils can be recycled – take them  to your local civic amenity site.
• Silicone cannot be recycled or composted.

Pedal Bins and Wastebaskets:

• Look for these on Freecycle groups.
• Metal bins can be recycled as scrap metal.  Bring to your nearest civic amenity site.
• Ideas for upcycling plastic bins and wastebaskets.

Buckets and Basins:

• Look for these (or give them away) on Freecycle groups.
• Your local Co-op superstore may have empty buckets they can give you for free.

Brushes and Mops:

• These are listed on the ‘Cleaning’ page here.

Candles:

• How to remove candle wax from a jar or candle holder.
• Save old candle wax and re-melt to make into new candles.  Wick thread can be bought online or at Art/Hobby shops.  There are numerous links on the web with instructions on recycling candles.
• Treaty Candle Co. (Limerick) – take leftover candle wax from the public to make into new candles – any amount of wax is appreciated – post to this address: Treaty Candles, Cader Idris, O’Connell Avenue, Limerick, V95 V2XT.

Laundry Baskets & pegs:

• Bamboo Laundry Basket – from Woodies
• Jute Laundry Basket
• Cotton Laundry Bag
• DIY laundry basket from cardboard box
• Steel clothes pegs

Note: Wicker/Rattan baskets – if the wicker is made from natural rattan it should decompose. Synthetic (PE) rattan will not decompose.

Mats and Rugs

• 100% Cotton, hemp and jute rugs can all be composted at end of life.
• Mats and Rugs can be bought and sold online or freecycled.
• Rug made from upcycled t-shirts.
• Rugs in good condition could be donated to animal shelters or homeless charities.

Clocks:

• Can be donated to charity shops.
• See also: Buy and sell, Freecycle or Swap sites.
• If the clock has a battery it can be recycled as WEEE (electrical waste).
• Old clocks can be sold to vintage or antique shops.

Ornaments, Photo Frames and Bric-a-Brac:

• Can be donated to charity shops, bought and sold online, or given away free.