Recycling Mystery: Garden Hoses – Earth911

Ah summertime, hooking up the sprinkler for the youngsters to run by way of, washing the canine within the yard, filling up the watering can from the hose. However after dragging the hose out of the storage, a few of us would possibly discover it has cracks, holes, or leaks. You possibly can attempt to restore them, but when that doesn’t work, you could be questioning, “What do I do with the previous hose?”

Sadly, the choices for recycling are principally non-existent, due to each the hose materials and its form. Most hoses are fabricated from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU), also referred to as #3 and #7 plastics for these acquainted with the plastic resin ID codes. These are two of essentially the most tough plastic resins to recycle.

In case you bought a dearer hose, it’s probably fabricated from artificial rubber, the fabric used to make tires and equipment belts. Whereas there’s a terrific market (and demand) for tire recycling, a lot of the choices for customers to recycle them are automotive restore outlets, retail shops, and family hazardous waste (HHW) applications, that are unlikely to simply accept your hose.

Curbside recycling applications gained’t need your hose as a result of it’s a “tangler,” an merchandise that can simply jam the equipment on the materials restoration facility (MRF), just like plastic bags do.

Landfill Alternate options

Most communities encourage residents to place their previous hoses within the trash however there are upcyclng and reuse choices that may preserve it out of a landfill. Listed below are a number of ideas:

1. Possibly you may get one other yr out of the hose. Do some DIY hose repair to repair leaks.
2. Donate it to a second-hand retailer like Goodwill, which might make minor repairs and resell the hose. Name first to confirm they’ll take it.
3. Upcycle your hose right into a doormat, door decor, a handle for a bucket, or a wastebasket.
4. A number of the hose might be recycled. Utilizing a utility knife, reduce off the ends of the hose, that are sometimes fabricated from metallic resembling metal or brass; you may then recycle these metal pieces at a scrap metallic recycling facility.

Hose Useful Hints

With restricted accountable disposal choices, extending the lifetime of your hose is an efficient step. The very first thing to contemplate is paying somewhat additional for a rubber hose when shopping for a brand new one. Rubber hoses are sometimes fabricated from recycled materials, so though you may need a troublesome time recycling, no less than the fabric within the hose could have had a earlier life.

Moreover, rubber hoses are extra proof against kinks and punctures. Hoses fabricated from PVC have been found to contain lead and phthalates, which might leach into the water (assume twice earlier than letting children drink from the hose). Identical to artificial Christmas trees made of PVC, taking the cheaper choice could expose your family to guide.

In case you stay in an space topic to harsh winters, carry your hose inside earlier than snowfall to protect its life. Since water stays within the hose when you flip off the tap, protecting it connected throughout the winter might additionally increase the chances of frozen pipes.

Editor’s Observe: Initially printed on November 7, 2018, this text was up to date in October 2023.