Are Window Blinds Recyclable? (And 6 Ways to Reuse Old Blinds)

We all love our privacy. No one likes it when they feel like they are being watched, or that just about anyone can see into their private spaces. This is why window blinds are such amazing inventions; they help us protect our privacy while also beautifying our households.

The best part is, they are available in various sizes, colors, and materials; you get to choose from an array of options. Certainly, this means you have a couple of window blinds for the windows in your house and or office.

Of course, you would want to change them when they are worn out, or when you simply desire a change. Which begs the question- how do you dispose of your useless window blinds?

If you are interested in the multiple ways you can dispose of and possibly repurpose your old window blinds, then this blog post is especially for you. We assure you that you would enjoy every bit of it, and would also be quite amazed at the things you didn’t know you needed to know about recycling and repurposing your window blinds. Enjoy!

Can You Recycle Blinds?             

Well, there are various types of blinds. There are blinds made from vinyl, aluminum, bamboo, and wood. Now, the type of blinds you have would determine whether or not they can be recycled.

Recycling centers are quite choosy when it comes to the materials they accept. Now, some recycling centers accept items like your vinyl blinds, while others do not. You should inquire at your recycling center before you pack your old vinyl blinds to them.

You can also recycle your plastic blinds.

However, blinds made from materials like wood and bamboo cannot be recycled because they have been treated. Recycling centers don’t accept wooden blinds also because most of them have been treated, painted, and varnished. That’s too many additional products which will most certainly affect the other types of wood in the recycle bin.

Treated and painted wood is likely to contaminate the other items in the recycle bin, so you need to take find alternatives for them. You may decide to compost your wooden and bamboo blinds, or even repurpose them. We have a ton of ideas we cannot wait to show you.  

Of course, blinds can be recycled. But it depends on the material of the blinds you are looking to dispose of are made from.

Can You Recycle Plastic Vertical Blinds?

Absolutely! You can recycle your plastic vertical blinds. There are different types of plastic vertical blinds; some are made from polyvinyl chloride while others are made from polyester.

Vinyl blinds are made from polyvinyl chloride. It’s a special type of plastic, which means that your vinyl blinds are basically plastic, and recyclable. Of course, plastic can be recycled but vinyl blinds cannot be recycled with other materials because of contamination.

Be sure to ask your recycling center if they accept vinyl blinds. If they don’t, you can use a recycling locator to find the nearest recycling center that accepts vinyl blinds. The same goes for your blinds made from polyester.

They are all made from plastic, which is recyclable, and that is all that matters. You would, however, have to inquire at your local recycling centers if they accept the type of plastic vertical blinds you are looking to recycle. If they don’t, you can readily use a recycling locator.

Can you Recycle Aluminum Blinds?

Aluminum blinds are quite common blinds. They are sleek, versatile, flexible, and easy to maintain. You can find aluminum blinds anywhere; they can be used in any type of bedroom, office, or living area setting.

The best part is they can be recycled at any recycling center. They don’t require any special process in terms of recycling, so disposing of them in an environmentally friendly manner isn’t going to be an issue for you.

You may also opt for taking them to a scrap yard instead. They would certainly be grateful for it. You would, however, have to dismantle the blinds and take just the aluminum and steel parts. Before taking your blinds to either the recycling center or the scrap yard, you would need to clean them thoroughly.

Can you recycle Wooden Blinds?

Sadly, wooden blinds cannot be recycled because of the type of material they are made from. You cannot recycle your wooden blinds because the wood is usually treated or stained, and to avoid contamination, recycling centers don’t accept materials like this.

Treated wood is wood that has undergone painting, varnishing, and also a series of treatments designed to prolong its lifespan. Wood is typically susceptible to termite infestation as well as attacks from other insects. To prevent this from happening, said wood requires a lot of fumigation, which involves a variety of chemicals.

Preservatives are also added to prolong the lifespan. Untreated wood hardly ever lasts as long as treated wood, and since you are going to be using your window blinds for a long time, it only makes sense that they should be fashioned from treated wood.

Obviously, it would be wrong to recycle wood that has been treated with wood that hasn’t. It will lead to contamination, and eventually, waste.

Aside from recycling, which is impossible in this case, there are many other superb ways to dispose of your unwanted wood blinds.

You cannot recycle your old wooden blinds. You can, however, find a safer way to either repurpose them, compost, or chop them into tiny pieces and put them in the trash can.

6 Surprising Ways To Reuse Old Blinds

Sometimes, recycling isn’t always an option, especially when the window blinds you aim to dispose of are made from bamboo or wood. You may also be looking for savvy ways to dispose of them without harming your environment.

We have several tips to remedy this, and we are certain we will leave your mind blown. So by all means, read up, and don’t be afraid to get creative.

1. Drawer Dividers

If you love organizing things, this tip is for you. Did you know that you could use your old window blinds as drawer organizers? And the process is quite easy to follow too!

Well, you would need to dismantle your old window blinds, gently take them apart and keep a couple of pieces. You can even use one strip for your drawer; you would just have to cut it into the sizes you desire.

2. Garden Markers

This is a great hack for you if you have a green thumb. We use garden markers to label our plants, especially when they are just budding. That way, we can identify them and just as easily determine their specific needs.

Aside from a form of identification, garden markers also add appealing aesthetics to our gardens. When the markers are well designed, they give the garden a cool and organized look, while also letting everyone know which plant is which.

Garden markers are quite easy to fashion from old window blinds. For this hack, wooden blinds are the most suitable. Cut them into the sizes and shapes you want, file them down and paint them. You can now use a sharpie to write the names of the plants you intend to attach them to.

3. Gift Tags

Gift tags are relatively easy to make. They offer amazing aesthetics when you attach them to an item you intend to gift out. Making your gift tags is a great idea because it means that a lot of thought has been put into packaging that gift item.

It also helps that it would save you some money, and a trip to the supermarket. Aside from these, you would also be disposing of your old window blinds without harming the environment. Amazing, right?

Here’s how it works. You need to dismantle your window blinds and cut them into the sizes of gift tags that you want; you can file them to even the rough edges. You would need a hole puncher, stickers in the theme you are opting for, and some cute little ropes.

Making these items can be quite fun. What’s more, you could also gift these gift tags to your friends and family. They can also use them when they intend to gift items to other people. A great time to use this hack would be Christmas time because a lot of presents would be exchanged at this period.

4. Picture Frames

We bet you didn’t know that you could repurpose your old window blinds into picture frames. Well, now you know. They are also quite easy to make.

If the blinds you want to repurpose are made from bamboo or wood, it would add to the aesthetics of the picture frames. You may also choose to repaint the frames any color you desire, opting for glow-in-the-dark paint works too.

The best part is that these homemade picture frames make amazing gift items. For one, they are thoughtful and assumed to have been made with love. Another is that they save you a few bucks and a run to the supermarket.

So next time you have a couple of old and unwanted blinds, don’t throw them away. Save them for when you need to make gift items for your friends and family.

5. Homemade Decorations

You would be amazed at the types of homemade decorations you can fashion from your old blinds. You would need a pair of scissors to dismantle the slats, some paint, and a glue gun.

You can cut the slats into the sizes and shapes you want, attach them using the glue gun if need be, and paint them the colors you desire. Don’t be afraid to get creative.

6. Donate Them

There will always be someone who needs items you intend to dispose of. Hence, donating unwanted items is always a great idea; you would be decluttering and also end up feeling good about yourself. So when next you are redecorating or desire a window blind upgrade, be sure to consider giving out the old ones instead of binning or attempting to recycle them.

You may wonder who you could possibly give your old window blinds to. You can donate them to your friends who you think may need them, family members or friends going off to college, or even homeless shelters.

However, please ensure that the blinds are in great condition if you intend to give them out.

Conclusion

Window blinds are extremely essential household and office items. We cannot do without them if we enjoy having our privacy. And certainly, we cannot use them forever; we have to upgrade or change them someday.

Now, recycling our unwanted items is always a great idea if we plan to protect our environment. However, depending on the type of blinds you opt for, recycling may not always be an option.

We have provided several tips on how you can dispose of these unwanted items. So please, read up and stay informed!

References

https://www.thespruce.com/what-are-curtains-drapes-shades-and-blinds-4067656

https://www.blinds.com/blog/how-to-recycle-blinds

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About Rinkesh

A true environmentalist by heart ❤️. Founded Conserve Energy Future with the sole motto of providing helpful information related to our rapidly depleting environment. Unless you strongly believe in Elon Musk‘s idea of making Mars as another habitable planet, do remember that there really is no 'Planet B' in this whole universe.