8 Items You Should Never (Ever) Toss in the Trash—Here's What to Do Instead

Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are everywhere and notoriously difficult to dispose of properly. "They never truly decompose in a landfill," explains Ryan Metzger, founder of Ridwell, a nationwide recycling service. "Their lightweight design means they often blow off garbage trucks, contributing to environmental pollution, [and] birds and sea creatures frequently mistake them for food with devastating consequences." 

Complicating matters (and contrary to popular belief), placing your plastic bags into your curbside recycling bin isn’t a solution. “They’re considered contamination and get sent to the landfill anyway because municipal recycling machinery can’t process them,” says Metzger. “Plastic bags jam sorting equipment, causing costly shutdowns.”

To keep plastic bags out of landfills, reuse them whenever possible. Use them to protect shoes in your luggage or to stuff your boots to help them maintain their shape. They can also serve as packing material for delicate items in storage bins or garbage bags.

Batteries

“Batteries don’t belong in the trash,” says Metzger. “They can spark fires in garbage trucks and waste facilities.”

Additionally, batteries contain toxic chemicals like lead, mercury, and cadmium that can leak when punctured, contaminating soil and waterways. According to HVAC expert Brian White, you have several options when it comes to safely disposing of your batteries. 

• Take to local battery recycling centers or retail drop-off locations (e.g., Best Buy)
• Use mail-in battery recycling programs (like Call2Rycycle or Ridwell)
• Check if your local hazardous waste facility accepts batteries
• Repurpose rechargeable batteries in household electronics
  

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)

“These bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, which is highly toxic,” explains White. “When broken in a landfill, mercury can vaporize or seep into soil and water, posing serious health risks to humans and wildlife.” 

In order to safely dispose of CFLs and other mercury bulbs, White recommends taking them to a participating hardware store recycling program (e.g., Home Depot or Lowe’s), seeking out a local hazardous waste collection site, or sealing your broken bulbs in an airtight container and following local hazardous disposal instructions.

Propane Tanks and Aerosol Cans

When grilling season is done, you might be tempted to toss that unwieldy propane tank in the trash—but there are inherent dangers in doing so. “These pressurized containers can explode under landfill conditions or during waste processing, putting workers and property at risk,” says White. “Additionally, leftover chemicals inside can contaminate the environment.” 

Luckily, you can take your tank to a certified propane exchange or refill station, eliminating the waste that could exact untold damage in a landfill. Additionally, certain aerosol cans or propane tanks can be brought to household hazardous waste collection events, according to White. (Just make sure that any cans are fully empty before recycling, if permitted.) 

Electronics

Old cell phones and tablets contain heavy metals and certain materials that don’t degrade safely, according to electronics expert Steven Athwal. The same dangerous risks apply to chargers and cables, wireless headphones, earbuds, and laptops. “If it’s electronic—phone, tablets, laptops, chargers, headphones—it should never end up in regular home garbage”, says Athwal. “That’s how e-waste ends up leaking poisons and causing fires.”

Fortunately, most electronics can be recycled, repaired, or refurbished, according to Athwal. “To prevent e-waste and environmental damage, you should properly recycle your electronics at a local recycling center, where they can be disposed of safely,” adds professional organizer Olivia Parks. 

Any of the following is a legitimate way to make the most of your electronics, beyond their expiration date. 

• Trade-in services
• E-waste bins at supermarkets and recycling centers
• Electronic store drop-offs
• Donate useful cables and working electronics to charities, community centers, shelters, and schools
• Repair when possible (frayed cables, for example, can be re-sleeved at repair shops)
  

Household Chemicals (Cleaners, Paint, Pesticides)

“These products often contain corrosive, flammable, or toxic substances,” cautions White. “If sent to landfills, they can leach into soil and groundwater, creating dangerous chemical reactions or causing fires.”

Ultimately, people, animals, and the environment could be harmed by the release of these toxic chemicals into our landfills. To responsibly dispose of these products, check with local household hazardous waste facilities and always follow the label's instructions.

Additionally, some cleaners and household maintenance supplies can be donated to local schools or homeless shelters (if there is enough product inside to warrant it).

Past-Their-Prime Textiles

Throwing old t-shirts and lone socks in the trash seems harmless enough—but our experts tell us otherwise. “According to the most recent EPA data, 11.3 million tons of textiles end up in U.S. landfills each year,” says Metzger. “As these textiles decompose, they release methane, a potent greenhouse gas,” explains Metzger, “and leach toxic chemicals and dyes into groundwater and soil.” 

Before you toss your latest batch of unwanted threads, consider these options to keep your textiles out of the trash.

• Check to see if the clothing brand or retailer offers a take-back or recycling program.
• Try your hand at quilting to repurpose sentimental pieces, such as concert tees or baby clothes.
• Consider repurposing old clothes into rags, pet toys, or other DIY projects.
• Partner with a recycling service like Ridwell to give faded threads a new life.
  

Medications and Prescription Bottles

Prescription and over-the-counter medications tend to stick around long beyond their expiration date, crowding medicine cabinets. However, when purging yours, it’s best to check your impulse to simply throw them away.

“When medications are loosely thrown into the trash, those drugs can leak into the environment and harm wildlife,” says Parks. “They can also be accidentally taken by kids, pets, or the wrong person, so it’s safest to properly dispose of them instead of throwing them into the trash.”

According to Parks, medications can be properly disposed of and destroyed at medication disposal sites, such as Walgreens or CVS. Some drug take-back programs also offer mail-back envelopes, allowing for safe, easy, and anonymous disposal.