"Porcelain though...ugh. I tried donating a sink once, but it had a tiny chip and Habitat wouldn't take it."
Yeah, porcelain fixtures are tricky. Had a similar issue with an old toilet—no chips, but apparently they don't accept used toilets at all. Ended up paying disposal fees too. Cast iron's definitely simpler since scrap yards usually take it no questions asked. Wish there were better recycling options for porcelain...feels wasteful tossing something still usable.
Had a similar experience with an old porcelain tub. Thought I'd be eco-friendly and donate it, but nope—tiny hairline crack meant nobody wanted it. Ended up breaking it into pieces myself (therapeutic, but messy!) and using the chunks as drainage filler in my garden pots. Not exactly glamorous recycling, but hey, saved me disposal fees and gave my plants some fancy drainage...
"Ended up breaking it into pieces myself (therapeutic, but messy!) and using the chunks as drainage filler in my garden pots."
Haha, that's actually a pretty clever workaround. Porcelain can be tricky—it's technically recyclable, but most recycling centers won't touch it if there's even the smallest crack. I've run into similar issues with old cast iron fixtures, too. They're recyclable, sure, but hauling them off is a pain and sometimes the scrap yards get picky about rust or corrosion levels.
Speaking of creative reuse, has anyone tried repurposing old copper pipes? I've seen some folks turn them into garden trellises or even decorative lighting fixtures. Always wondered how well those DIY projects hold up over time, especially outdoors...
Copper pipes actually hold up pretty well outdoors, especially if you give them a quick coat of clear sealant first. I made a trellis from leftover plumbing scraps about 4 years ago—still going strong, just a bit of green patina (which honestly looks kinda cool...).
Copper definitely holds up outdoors, but I dunno about the clear sealant part. I tried something similar on a copper bird feeder stand last summer, and after one harsh winter, the sealant started peeling off in patches. Maybe it was just the brand I used or my prep wasn't thorough enough...but honestly, copper develops that patina naturally anyway, so why bother sealing it? Seems like extra work for minimal benefit.
