How to dispose of old pots and pans and can they be recycled?

 

 

Pyrex glass

Curbside recycling programs generally don’t accept the Pyrex glass type of cookware. This applies to glass lids of pans also.The reason is Pyrex contaminates the other recyclable glass because it doesn’t melt at the same temperature. Your best option with these is to pass them onto charity or to another home.

Ceramic

By ceramic, I mean 100% ceramic cookware. Most people cherish their all-ceramic cookware. But if you need to dispose of it, where can it be recycled? Recycling programs generally don’t accept ceramic items because ceramic does not melt.¹

If intact, you can pass ceramic ware on to new homes (see above).

For broken or chipped ceramic pots or pans, these can look great in the garden as a feature and there is plenty of repurposing and upcycling ideas on Pinterest.

The Zero Waste Institute says the best option is to find a way to …”Break the particles apart and return them to the clay that they were made from”.¹ 

I know broken up pieces placed in the bottom of pot plants make for excellent drainage. This is good as long as the product is 100% ceramic with no lead or other toxins in the glaze. This is not a concern with cookware sold in the US as it must meet strict safety guidelines governing lead content, similar to all food containers.

Metal cookware (including stainless steel)

You can check, but most curbside recycling programs don’t accept scrap metal and this means metal cookware.

Recyclers of scrap metals will probably want to know whether your cookware is nonferrous or ferrous.

You should know that your pots and pans contain nonferrous metal if they are made from aluminum, copper or stainless steel.