Yeah, copper and brass fixtures are definitely worth recycling. I remember once I helped demo an old bathroom, and we ended up with a decent pile of copper pipes—took it to the scrapyard and got enough cash for pizza and drinks afterward. Not bad for a day's work!
As for moldy cabinets, completely agree that they're usually beyond saving. Mold is like that annoying relative at family gatherings—once it's settled in, good luck getting rid of it without drama. I've seen folks scrub and repaint moldy cabinets thinking it's fine, only to have the mold return a few weeks later. Definitely not worth the hassle or health risk.
But speaking of recycling fixtures... what about old porcelain sinks or toilets? I've heard mixed things—some say they can be recycled into crushed porcelain aggregate, others tell me they're just landfill material. Anyone here have experience recycling porcelain fixtures? Curious if that's actually practical or just wishful thinking...
I've dealt with old porcelain fixtures a few times, and honestly, recycling them is a bit hit or miss. A few years back, I had to replace all the toilets in one of my older rental properties—figured I'd try being environmentally friendly and asked around at local recycling centers. Most places gave me the runaround or flat-out said no. But eventually, I did find one place that accepted porcelain fixtures for crushing into aggregate. They were pretty picky though: had to remove all metal fittings, seats, screws—basically anything not porcelain.
In the end, it was a bit of a hassle, but I felt better about it than just dumping them in a landfill. Still, not sure I'd do it every single time... depends on how much extra effort you're willing to put in. If it's just one sink or toilet, might be easier to landfill it (sad but true). But if you've got several fixtures and don't mind spending some time stripping them down, recycling can work out okay. Just be prepared for some awkward looks when you roll up with a truck full of toilets at the recycling center... speaking from experience here.
"Just be prepared for some awkward looks when you roll up with a truck full of toilets at the recycling center... speaking from experience here."
Haha, I can totally picture that scene. I haven't dealt with porcelain yet, but recently helped my uncle replace some old cast iron pipes. We called around, and surprisingly, scrap metal places were pretty eager to take them off our hands. Seems like metal fixtures are way easier to recycle than porcelain. Guess porcelain recycling still needs some catching up...
Cast iron pipes are definitely easier to recycle than porcelain fixtures, no doubt about that. A few things I've learned from experience:
- Cast iron and other metal fixtures usually have decent scrap value, so recycling centers or scrap yards are happy to take them. Just make sure they're relatively clean—no major chunks of concrete or dirt stuck to them.
- Porcelain, on the other hand, is tricky. Most recycling centers won't touch it because it's hard to process and has limited reuse potential. Some places crush it up for road base or construction fill, but that's pretty rare.
- If you're stuck with porcelain fixtures (like toilets or sinks), your best bet might be donating them if they're still usable. Habitat for Humanity ReStores sometimes accept them if they're in decent shape.
- Otherwise, you might have to bite the bullet and pay disposal fees at a landfill or transfer station.
Honestly, recycling infrastructure still has a long way to go when it comes to certain materials like porcelain. It's frustrating, but that's just how it is right now...
Yeah, cast iron is definitely the easier one to deal with. I remember hauling an old bathtub to the scrap yard once—got enough cash back to cover gas and lunch, so can't complain there. Porcelain though...ugh. I tried donating a sink once, but it had a tiny chip and Habitat wouldn't take it. Ended up paying at the dump. Kinda sucks how limited our options still are for stuff like that.