What should I do with an obsolete bread knife?

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

Our bread knife was getting to the end of its life and needed replacing. Dh bought a brilliant new bread knife yesterday.

so what do we do with the old one?

I don't want to.put it in the bin in case whoever sorts through the rubbish cuts themselves. Dh thinks it's fine as the rubbish-sorters wear gloves. I still think there's a risk to them.

Dh thinks we should put it in the recycling bin as it has a plastic handle and metal blade. I think if it has to go in a bin it should go in the black bin as it will be crushed.

Any advice? So far I've just put it back in the drawer!

Hand it in to the police

Use it in the garden for edging the lawn and attacking persistent weeds.

I'd wrap the blade with newspaper and put in the recycling. I'm sure lots of glass gets broken when recycling is collected so I am sure that rubbish sorters wont be shoving their hands into the rubbish willy-nilly

Wrap in plenty of newspaper and sellotape up and then bin if you ever need to bin a knife.

You could wrap the blade in heavy paper/card and tape securely.

You're not the only person with these question. A Google search came up with these suggestions

(still kept my favourite breadknife from before married, even though I have new ones - now has string around handle to keep it together - it is much older than some people on this site!)

I’ve wondered this before

as soon as it leaves the house your lovely new breadknife will either break/be stolen/get lost, so my advice is to keep it for an emergency

I never knew you could recycle a knife of any sort.

Every day's a schoolday. But I don't think they are recyclable, and I'd be quite surprised if they were!

I would just put it in the general bin for non recyclables myself, and as others have said wrap it in a bit of newspaper first. But general waste just goes direct to landfill, no handling.

Don't stress over it OP, you are not going to make the planet disintegrate, or harm anyone by putting it in general waste bin.

So far I've just put it back in the drawer!

That's what I would do too.

Sorted!

"Outdoor gym created from recycled knives"

www.forgerecycling.co.uk/blog/gym-recycled-knives/

Check with your local tip if it can be recycled there. We’ve taken old knives to ours in the past to be either recycled or disposed of properly without risk to rubbish sorters if they had just been put in the general rubbish

Amnesty bin?

I would put some sellotape over the blade (lots) and shove it in the bin

I also thought police amnesty bin.

thanks for all the ideas. I love the story about the gym built out of knives but sadly our bread knife alone won't be sufficient!

It will.be a while before we go to the tip but that might be the best solution assuming I remember to get it out of the drawer and take it with me.

Keep it in the shed / garage / utility room, you'll soon be surprised how many times you see it and think 'ah, that'll do perfectly for this little job'.

I take old knives to the tip. Anything containing metal, even if there’s plastic with it too, is encouraged into the metal container at ours. I have a ‘tip box’ in which I place small items like bulbs, batteries fabrics and small electricals. Then I go every now and then.

Put it in the shed or garage for a few years 😄

Another vote for metal recycling at the local tip.

I have a ‘tip box’ in which I place small items like bulbs, batteries fabrics and small electricals. Then I go every now and then. - I do this too, it all goes in and then you just take the box with you when you go. Easy! Ours lives in the shed so doesn't take up room in the house.

Take it to your local police station. We did this with a load of old knives when moving and they were extremely glad we did.

Take it to your local police station. We did this with a load of old knives when moving and they were extremely glad we did

Yeah, helps with the sarnies at lunch time!

The nearest police station is in the town several.miles away and parking costs a fortune so I'm not sure I'm prepared to do that. I think I'll try the tip and resort to the police station if the tip wont take it.

You'll be glad of it if you ever acquire a loaf of obsolete bread!